


More Than Human

by saltedLicorice



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Not Beta Read, Partners to friends to lovers, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltedLicorice/pseuds/saltedLicorice
Summary: Three months after Tsunemori had stopped Kogami from shooting Makishima Shogo, they're still on the lookout for the lunatic prince. A new Inspector has joined Division One, with a past that holds ugly secrets, and Kogami can't help but be intrigued by her indifference to societal trends. However, when Makishima rears his conniving head out of hiding, she realizes her newly peaceful life is soon to be shattered, especially now that she has loved ones in her life.
Relationships: (in flashbacks) - Relationship, Kougami Shinya/Reader, Makishima Shougo/Reader
Comments: 31
Kudos: 56





	1. Prologue

“What is she? She nearly killed a person and her crime coefficient is zero!” Tsunemori is nearly screaming by this point. Half of her still can't believe she's yelling at a bunch of moving brains and the other half of her is hysterical and so close to jumping off the deep end.

“We regret the inconvenience, but she is as human as you are,” replies the omnipresent voice of Sibyl. It echoes off the walls of the vast domed room. It’s so calm, Tsunemori wants to hurl something at it.

“Is she… Is she like _him_?”

“Yes.” There’s a silence. The mechanical sound of the system continues. It doesn't care for Tsunemori's problems.

“I don’t want her part of my division. I don’t want her to be a part of the MWPSB. I don’t want her anywhere near Kogami or myself!”

“That is not possible.”

“Make it possible, goddammit! If… If Kogami finds out, he’s going to kill her!”

“She was made a part of the MWPSB after coming to a negotiation with us. She is asymptomatic like us and Makishima Shogo. We wanted her to become a part of us after revealing ourselves to her, but she refused and threatened to lay waste to us if we forced her onto us. However, she understood the necessity of the Sibyl System in this world and we came to an agreement; she would work for the MWPSB if she wanted to be no part of us. She ranked her life above the Sibyl System, but she knew we would stop at nothing to have her.”

“Assign her to a different division then. Kogami _will_ kill her,” Tsunemori argues, her teeth clenched.

“We assure you, he will not find out about her. Go back to your duties as if nothing happened. You are the only one who knows that she tried to kill someone without her crime coefficient being affected.”

“I just can’t go back to my duties as if nothing happened. I can’t.”

“You will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the prologue and it's very short, but keep on reading for the next chapter! :)
> 
> In case you're wondering, yes, this is a repost of the original fanfic titled 'More Than Human.' However, after many years of not updating and my growth as a writer, I no longer like the direction the old one was heading, nor the pace at which it was going. This new version starts the same, but each chapter has been edited to a certain extent. The story will probably flow in the same manner I had envisioned all those years ago, but will move at a much slower pace to really enforce the burn of the relationship between the reader and Kogami. The slower the burn, the better, in my opinion.
> 
> The old version is still up, for those who may want the fanfic to move at a faster pace or want some smutty times, but it will never be completed.
> 
> Enjoy!


	2. Hit & Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current series of events will take place three months after the ending of season 1 of Psycho-Pass.
> 
> This is an AU where Kogami never shoots Makishima and never escapes in the end. Instead Makishima escapes. Kagari and Masaoka are still deceased as they were in the anime. The Psycho-Pass season 2 storyline has not taken place yet and Shimotsuki Mika has not joined the MWPSB yet. Ginoza is still an enforcer, as shown at the end of season 1. Because each inspector usually has two enforcers underneath them, Togane Sakuya will be omitted from this series and Kogami will take his place since I believe Kogami would’ve easily found out Togane’s plans for Tsunemori; Hinakawa Sho is the fourth enforcer for Division 1.
> 
> Each new chapter will start with a flashback.

_“You and I, we do not fit in this world. Sibyl has made sure of that.” His voice is like velvet and you can feel the warmth of his breath against the shell of your ear. His long fingers are delicately brushing your hair behind your shoulder and it feels like the whisper of a ghost’s embrace. It’s strangely comforting and hypnotizing._

_“Why?” Your voice is unwavering under the gaze of this angelic man._

_“She’s afraid of the power we have to create change. She wants to extinguish us like a flame running out of oxygen.” His fingers brush hauntingly over your neck and a shiver runs down your spine. “But you and I can change that. We are the same, rejected by the Sibyl System. We’re cut from the same cloth that will smother Sibyl and suffocate her until she can no longer cling to this world.”_

_“What makes you think I’ll help you?”_

_You can hear the smile that curves his lips. “Because Sibyl has made you feel like an outcast your entire life. She’s made you feel like you don’t belong and this world doesn’t need you, and you want revenge, don’t you?”_

_There's a pause as you contemplate his words. “I do.”_

_Makishima’s smile grows. “I’m so glad I found you, [Name].”_

* * *

You wake with a jolt to the incessant ringing of your MWPSB wristcom, cold sweat drenching your upper body.

 _Not that dream again_ , you think groggily to yourself as you blindly slap your bedside table for your watch. You answer with a tap of your finger. “Mm? Inspector [Last Name] speaking.”

“[Last Name]-san, I’m so sorry for calling you at such a late hour, but there’s an urgent situation. Please come at once to the location I’ve sent you,” says Tsunemori, getting straight to the point

“Mm, it’s alright. I’ll be there in ten,” you reply.

You take the quickest, coldest shower to rid yourself of the sweat and slumber on your body and dress in a simple white, button down shirt, black trousers and a black blazer with a beige trench coat to protect yourself from the midnight chill. Grabbing your car keys from the table, you head down to the basement of the MWPSB headquarters before making your way towards Tsunemori’s location.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, [Last Name]-san,” Tsunemori greets you.

You smile at her as you slip your hands into the pockets of your coat. “It’s my job. So, what’s the situation?”

“We’ve got a hit and run on our hands. The perpetrator is 26-year-old Shintaro Yusei.” She shows you an image of the man in question on her wristcom. “He tried mugging our victim, 86-year-old Tsubaki Tayami, and it went south from there. He attempted to grab her purse after knocking into her, but instead she fell and hit her head on the sidewalk and died on the spot. We’ve confined him to a one block radius, so he must be hiding somewhere close by. We’ve evacuated all personnel to prevent an area stress level increase. He’s expected to be aggressive, considering his actions, so please cautiously find him and do the necessary.”

“Of course.” You step over to the carrier drone and withdraw a Dominator, allowing it to authenticate your usage of it. “But how has he been able to avoid cymatic scans from street drones if he always had an intent to commit a crime?”

“We don’t know.”

“You don’t think this has anything to do with…?” you trail off, letting the unsaid hang in the air.

Tsunemori turns her dominator over in her hands, looking for something to fidget with. “I’m afraid it might, but it could also just be that he's just been avoiding scanners following up the to crime. However, for now, our sole concentration is to find Shintaro Yusei and subdue him. Kogami-san and Kunizuka-san are already out looking for him. You’re in charge of them. I will be with Ginoza-san and Hinakawa-san. Good luck, [Last Name]-san.”

“You, too, Tsunemori-san. And please,” you slip your Dominator into the holster strapped to your back, “we've been working together for a while now. You don't have to use honorifics with me. I’m not any bit above you as a colleague.”

“But I respect you all the same,” she counters, to which you resignedly sigh at. “Contact me if you get any intel about Shintaro’s whereabouts.” And with that she’s off.

“Kunizuka-san, do you have anything on Shintaro?” you ask into your wristcom as you briskly run along a deserted alley connected to several others.

“No. I just finished going through a few buildings and there’s no one here,” she replies.

“Do you have a twenty on Kogami-san?”

“No. We went separate ways. He stopped all communication five minutes ago,” she informs.

“Dammit. What was Tsunemori thinking by letting him out of her sight. He’s already tried to run away once, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, but, to be honest, I don’t think he’d take this as an opportunity for that.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” You shrug to no one in particular. “I’ve only known the guy for a month. Either way, contact me if you find anything on Shintaro. I’ll be looking for Kogami-san before he does something rash.”

“Roger.”

The glow from your wristcom flickers off and you withdraw your Dominator in anticipated defence. It isn’t long before you hear movement up ahead just around the corner. You cautiously approach, Dominator outstretched in front of you, and just as you turn the corner, it’s kicked out of your hands. Your breath expels in a hiss as another kick is expertly aimed at you and you block it with your forearms. That’s going to bruise quickly. You’re just about to swing a well-timed punch when you stop short upon seeing who it is. Of course that doesn’t stop your attacker from taking advantage of your cease of assault to swing his own punch at you, which you swiftly dodge just in the knick of time.

“Kogami-san, stop! Stop! It’s me. It’s [Last Name]. I’m not Shintaro,” you half yell at him.

His next punch stops half way between himself and your face. He blinks, taking in your defensive stance and guarded expression. “Sorry,” he backs off. “Didn’t realize it was you, Inspector.”

“Maybe if you respond to your communicator you would know my whereabouts,” you begin as you bend down to pick up your fallen Dominator. “Do you have any-”

“Sh-shit! They found me. I’m dead. I’m a dead man!” you just barely hear a masculine voice say just above you to your right.

Your eyes travel upward and land on Shintaro, who’s leaning out a window as he looks down at Kogami and you. Cursing under your breath, you hold up your Dominator in his direction, but he’s already disappeared behind the ledge.

“Kogami-san, block his exit route. I’ll pursue him into the building,” you instruct, snapping into action

“Understood,” he replies and dashes down the way he came.

Not seeing the entrance to the building anywhere close by, you notice a first floor window open. With a bit of quick footwork, you use the momentum from a run up to rebound off a dumpster and boost yourself to the ledge of the window. Parkour may be decades old, but it sure comes as a handy skill. Your fingertips grip on the window pane and you hoist yourself in.

“Tsunemori-san, follow the directions to my location. Shintaro is in the building. I’m in pursuit,” you speak into your wristcom after dialing Tsunemori.

“Okay. We may not reach in time. Please do the needful, [Last Name]-san,” she replies before you end the call.

With your gun outstretched in front of you, you slowly make your way through the building. “Kogami-san, do you have a twenty on our suspect?”

“No, I’ll tell you if I-” He abruptly cuts himself off, the urgency in his voice changing. “He’s on the roof! He’s trying to see how he can escape from there. I’ll make sure he can’t reach the ground. Pursue him at the top,” he responds.

“Got it,” you say as you dash up the stairs to the fourth floor.

Upon finding the door leading out to the roof barricaded, you point your Dominator at it.

_“Target’s Threat Judgement has been updated. Enforcement mode: Destroy Decomposer. Target will be completely eliminated. Please be careful.”_

Pulling the trigger, the door and some of the surrounding wall implodes into debris and you step through.

“Shintaro Yusei, drop any and all arms you may have and surrender,” you call out. You proceed further onto the roof just in time to watch Shintaro make the jump from one roof to another. You curse under your breath for the hundredth time that day. “Kogami-san, he’s using the roofs to escape. Keep a watch on him in case I lose him,” you call as you run across the roof and leap onto the next.

“I can see him switching roofs. I’ll try to keep an eye on him, but I can’t see much from down here.”

“I can’t get a good shot up here. He’s moving around too much.”

“Try to get him down. He’ll be confined to the alleys.”

“Got it.”

You give chase, never getting a good shot as he hides between objects and equipment placed on the roofs. “Shintaro Yusei, stand down! We have you confined to a one block radius. You have nowhere to go.”

“No, you don't understand. He’ll come for me! He promised to protect me. He’ll come for me!” Shintaro laughs deliriously before darting out from behind a water tank and running to the fire escape.

“Who promised you?” you ask, running after him.

“As if I’d tell you,” he yells, jumping onto the fire escape. He nimbly scrambles down and you follow.

“Kogami-san, where are you? He’s on the fire escape,” you call out.

“I’m on my way,” he responds on your wristcom.

Shintaro is fast, his feet hitting the ground as you move from the second floor down. You make the rash decision to jump just as Kogami rounds the corner onto your alley.

“Are you crazy?” he yell, incredulous as you descend through the air.

You hit the concrete hands first and roll into a crouched position before standing. “No, not really.” Then you take off after Shintaro with Kogami in close pursuit. You find him at the back of a dead-end alley, breathing heavily and with no weapon on him. “So, is your guy still coming for you?” you ask almost casually, Dominator aimed in his direction.

_“Target’s Threat Judgement has been updated. Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator. Please aim carefully and eliminate the target.”_

The fear is apparent on his face as the Dominator smoothly switches modes. “No, don’t shoot! You don’t understand. I’m a victim here. Makishima is the one you really want. He was the mastermind of this whole thing!”

You hear Kogami shift next to you. His grip on his Dominator tightens.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” you say to Shintaro. “We’ll get to him, too.” You pull the trigger.

* * *

“I’d like your report on the events that took place today when you come in for work tomorrow,” Tsunemori informs as you stand outside the building you’d first seen Shintaro in.

“Of course,” you reply. “Have a good night, Tsunemori-san.”

She watches you walk away towards your car as Ginoza comes to stand next to her.

“Inspector Tsunemori, there’s something I’d like to speak to you about regarding Inspector [Last Name],” he begins.

“Go on.”

“There’s something… off about [Last Name]-san, don’t you think?”

Tsunemori turns to look at Ginoza, her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“She’s only been on the job for a month, yet she was experienced from her first day. It’s not something you expect from a newbie. She handles situations a little too well.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’d like us to keep a closer eye on her. I have a feeling she’s hiding something.”

“I respect your insight on these kinds of things. We’ll keep a watch on her from now on.”

“Understood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's that. I hope you enjoyed reading it!
> 
> Psycho Pass has to be one of my all time favorite animes. It's just so different from anything I've watched and it's so enigmatic. And of course Kogami is downright sinful. ;)


	3. Past Unkown

_His arms are around yours and his hands cup your smaller ones, a gun in their grip. His mouth is next to your ear and each time he speaks, his lips ghost over your skin._

_“Now slowly exhale and squeeze the trigger,” he instructs._

_You do as told and the bullet flies from the gun, hitting the bullseye square in the middle._

_He kisses you chastely on the jaw. “Good job.” Releasing you from his embrace, he steps back, his arms crossing over his chest. “Now, do it again.”_

_You rinse and repeat the whole process over and over until Makishima is satisfied._

_“You learn fast, [Name],” he says after the target has been sufficiently brutalized._

_He moves over to where you’re standing as you place the gun on the table and hooks a finger under your chin to pull you in for a kiss. It’s hot and hungry and a little too intoxicating. He gently bites down on your lower lip before pulling away._

_“Now,” he purrs. “Time for live targets.”_

* * *

“He actually, verbally stated Makishima’s name?” Tsunemori clarifies after she goes through your statement again, eyes glossing over her monitor.

“Yes,” you reply, hands clasped loosely behind you.

She curses softly under her breath, swiping your report off her screen. “He’s always one step ahead of us.” She shifts her gaze to you. “Was Kogami-san with you when he took his name?”

“Yes.”

“How did he react?”

“He tensed up a bit, but didn’t react rashly.”

“Good. He’s keeping his head on his shoulders,” she nods to herself.

“By the way, where is he?” You glance around, seeing Kunizuka and Hinakawa at their desks, but Kogami and Ginoza missing from theirs.

“At the gym with Ginoza-san. Knowing Kogami, he’ll be taking out his frustration on just about anything if it’s really bugging him. Would you go check on them for me, please?” Her features morph pleadingly. She knows full well that she has the face of an angel, a face you can't say no to.

You make a face and Tsunemori's expressions breaks for laughter.

“I’m sorry, but please relieve Ginoza-san from combat practice if he seems at his limit. I don’t want him to over work himself. In fact, stop both of them if you can.”

You sigh in defeat. “Alright, alright, but you owe me for this.”

Walking off to head to the gym on the fortieth floor, you enter to find Kogami and Ginoza sparring to the nines. Both are breathing heavily and sweating profusely. You can tell both are at their limits and you’re pretty sure a normal female would faint from the amount of sheer testosterone emanating from them.

“How long have you two been at this?” you ask, striding over to them with an arched brow.

“Not too long,” Kogami replies, not even bothering to look your way as he swings his leg through the air.

“About an hour and half now,” Ginoza corrects, ducking to dodge the kick.

“Not too long, my ass,” you retort at Kogami. “Now both of you stop sparring or you’re going to pass out.”

“Just a little longer,” Kogami says.

Ginoza rolls his eyes, knowing his friend too well at this point to believe his words.

“Look, if you’re not going to stop, I’ll knock both of you on your asses and drag you to the men’s locker rooms,” you threaten.

“Half an hour more,” Kogami says, not taking your threat seriously in the slightest.

“Half an hour isn’t a _little_ longer. Jesus Christ, you’re going to work yourself dead. Now, stop sparring.”

He breezily ignores you as he tries to headlock Ginoza, who wrestles him off after a moment of struggling. You’re now a little irritated and the fact that he’s blatantly ignoring you isn’t helping. You snap. Thank God you’re wearing pants or you wouldn’t have been able to pull off your next move. You take a run up towards him before leaping into the air and locking your legs around his neck, executing a flying triangle choke. He barely even has time to react to wrap his arms around your back as your body weight pulls him head-first to the floor. You both hit the ground before you twist forward once down and pin his arm to the ground. Ginoza is left with his mouth slightly ajar.

“Now,” you smile sweetly over him, “Would you like me to repeat that or are you going to stop sparring?”

“We’ll stop,” he groans, clapping his free hand against your leg to make you let go.

“Good,” you chirp and release him from your leg choke. Rising into a standing position, you smooth your hair back to gain back your composure. “Now both of you go take a shower and go home. We’re done for the day.”

“I didn’t know you had that in you,” Ginoza says as he grabs a towel from the nearby cubby holes.

You shrug nonchalantly. “The things you learn when you have a brother who was crazy about wrestling in high school.”

“I didn’t know you have a brother.”

“A gigantic pain in the ass of a brother,” you brush off, walking away. “And if I find out you two continued sparring after I leave, you’re in trouble.”

* * *

“Then she performed a flying triangle choke like no big deal. I would never had expected it from her,” Ginoza says, incredulous.

“Well, she has been very good in the field. It comes as no surprise to me. Besides, you did say she said she has a wrestling obsessed brother,” Tsunemori counters, playing with the glass of wine in her hands.

He takes a swig from his drink. “Don’t you think you’re taking this situation regarding [Last Name]-san a little too lightly?”

“It’s my job to see a situation from each and every angle,” she says matter-of-factly. “I’m just weighing each option.”

“Besides, I didn’t even know she has a brother. Could you look it up on her profile?”

“Ah, sure.” Tsunemori puts down her drink to use her wristcom to check through your information profile. Her brows furrow. “That’s weird. There’s nothing on her.”

“What do you mean?” He stands to move over to where she’s sitting on his couch.

“It’s just the very basics about her. Name, date of birth, gender, et cetera. There’s nothing about her family or her place of birth or anything more.”

He peers down at the little screen from her wristcom, his finger trying to scroll, but there’s no more information to show.

“Seriously, Inspector Tsunemori, there’s something she’s hiding. We need to keep a closer eye on her,” he says with finality.

* * *

There’s a buzz at Kogami’s door and he glances curiously at it for a short second. He's not expecting anyone, but he moves to open it anyway. “Inspector,” he greets you with a hint of surprise.

“Um, hi,” you greet a tad awkwardly. “I just came to apologize for putting you in a chokehold earlier today. Are you okay? I hope I didn't injure you in any way.”

There's a huff of amusement from him. “Maybe just my ego, but other than that, I’m fine. Though it’s rare to see an Inspector go out of their way to apologize to an Enforcer.” He's vaguely reminded of something similar he once said to Tsunemori.

You shrug. “Well, we’re all humans in the end.”

“A lot of people don’t share your views.” There's a pause as he regards you and hesitates for a moment. “Would you like to come in?”

You blink, taken aback by his offer. “If it’s okay with you.”

He moves to the side to let you enter and you look around at his living quarters as you step in. They're stark and plain, with only the bare necessities scattered about. Somehow, you feel his dorm reflects him well.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asks, moving to his fridge.

“Uh, sure. What do you have?”

His eyes scan the contents of his fridge. “Water, some apple juice, red wine, and some whiskey and scotch Gino gave me.”

“I don’t think it’s wise for an inspector to drink at the MWPSB headquarters,” you say wryly.

“Well, you’re not on the job right now, are you?” he smirks.

You smile in defeat. “Alright, I’ll take a scotch on the rocks.”

Kogami’s eyebrows rise in mild surprise, but he begins to pour you a glass all the same. “Rough day?”

“Kinda. This Makishima guy is really getting to me. I don’t have a past with him like the rest of you do, but from the way you guys react to the mere mention of his name tells me he must have done something pretty horrible. And then to run into some guy he’s strung into his plan.”

“Nobody’s briefed you on him, yet?” He hands you your drink and takes a seat on an adjacent couch.

“Thank you. And, no, nobody’s briefed me and all the files on him are locked.” You take a sip of your drink.

“Makishima Shogo is someone… who must not be allowed to exist in this world.” Kogami’s hand tightens around his own drink.

“What… What has he done, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“That man is responsible for the death of two enforcers in our division and an enforcer who used to be under my supervision when I was still an inspector.”

You notice a muscle in his jaw jump. “I didn’t know you were an inspector previously.”

He chuckles without humor and his grip on his drink loosens. “Ah, yeah. You’re new here, so you mustn’t have known. It was actually the death of Sasayama, the enforcer under my watch, that clouded my hue and resulted in my demotion to an enforcer.” His grip tightens again and continues to as he keeps talking. “I still regret not having been able to prevent his death and find his killer at the time.”

“Kogami-san,” you caution, watching him spiral.

“He was under _my_ watch. I should’ve kept an eye on him.”

“Kogami-san.”

“It was _my_ job as an inspector to not let him out my sight. It was _my_ job to find his killer and I couldn’t do either.”

“Kogami-san!” you finally yell.

The glass in his hands shatters, shards scattering across his lap and falling to the floor. He swears and rises to his feet. “Sorry. I’ll clean this up. Give me a minute.”

You nod, allowing him to find a small dust pan and broom and clean up the small mess of glass fragments. “Careful. You’re barefoot.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry,” he brushes off, sweeping up the last of the pieces and discarding them in a trashcan. He sits back down and sighs. “Sorry about that. I just-”

“It’s okay. I understand. Anyone in your situation would get agitated while talking about something like that. Tell me about Sasayama. You seem like you were quite fond of him,” you encourage in an attempt to get his mind off the negatives.

He chuckles. “Yeah. He was an asshole and people loved him for it,” he begins.

You listen silently as he talks about the former enforcer and as he recounts all the good times he had with him. You can see the genuine smile slowly creeping on his face, even if he’s aware of it or not.

“He sounds like a great guy. I would’ve loved to have known him,” you say after Kogami’s finished.

“Nah, he would’ve grabbed your butt more times than you’d be grateful to know him,” he replies. He notices your drink is over and stands. “Would you like a refill?”

“Ah, no, thanks.” You place your glass on the center table and rise, too. “I think it’s about time I get going.”

“You live in the building, too, right?”

“Yeah. Can’t find a place of my own, sadly. Everything good seems to have been taken already. Or maybe I’m just picky, who knows,” you shrug with a lopsided smile as you move towards the entrance. “But thanks for talking to me. It was nice to hear about Sasayama.” The door slides open and you step out before turning around to look at him. “I’m here if you ever need to talk again.”

“Yeah, thanks. Good night, Inspector.”

“Good night, Kogami-san. And you know you don’t have to call me Inspector all the time, right?” you call as you walk away.

He can't help the intrigued smile that quirks his lips as he watches you leave. You’re a piece of work if you can be so down to earth, yet execute a flying triangle choke like nobody’s business.

* * *

“Are you sure that’s her?” Makishima asks, idly playing with his cut-throat razor as he peers at the photograph lying on the desk.

“You’d be the better judge of that. You’ve known her for a good amount of time.”

“True. And she’s working with the CID for the MWPSB?”

“Yes.”

“With Kogami Shinya?”

“Yes.

Makishima laughs in delight. “Well, isn’t that perfect? Things just got so much more interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally have some Reader-Kogami interaction. Hope you like it!


	4. Serial Publicist

_There’s a force of attraction that is absolutely undeniable radiating from Makishima and you realize it after your first week of living with him. It’s in your second week that you give up any and all denial towards said attraction and simply accept it. He kisses you in the middle of your third week and the gravitational pull you feel from him only increases from there on out._

_Maybe if you stay blissfully ignorant it will continue like this; a world where only Makishima and you exist with a plot to release the country from the clutches of Sibyl. It's almost like you’ve been brainwashed._

_Makishima did not think there was anyone he could fall in love with and be truly happy with, yet here you are, proving his beliefs wrong. You’re someone just like him; someone unrecognized by Sibyl. Someone who does not fit in, just as he does not._

_Sometimes he’s afraid to even touch you. Afraid his hand will go right through you and you’ll disappear, becoming a mere memory to him and finally proving he might actually be insane. At the same time he wants to keep an iron hold on you. He doesn’t want you to leave him; he doesn’t want to be all alone again._

_He kisses you roughly at half past midnight sometimes just to remind himself that you’re his; to remind himself you’re real, and also just because he can and he loves kissing you. He loves leaving you breathless at quarter past one in the morning. He loves feeling how fragile you are beneath him, but he knows you’re toughening and soon he’ll feel the muscle in your limbs. He’s scared you’ll realize you’re strong enough without him one day and he wants you to stay fragile, but at the same time, he knows you have to strengthen to carry out your anarchic plans with him._

_Makishima realizes he’s in love with you not too long after you do; sometimes you’re more intellectual than him and it puts a wry smile on his face. He tries his best to deny his feelings, but he’s already caught in the web you’ve unknowingly strung and frankly, he doesn’t want to get out._

_Makishima Shogo is in love, and he feels vulnerable for the first time in his life._

* * *

“It’s the third case like this in the past three weeks,” Tsunemori says, eyeing the victim.

Hinakawa is busying himself with trying to not puke while he looks everywhere, but at the body.

“Middle-aged female raped, tortured and then asphyxiated. Then hung by the wrists from the top of a building during the middle of the night for the world to wake up to the next morning and create an area stress level increase,” Ginoza sums up, going over the records displayed on his wristcom.

“With the words, ‘YOU’RE NEXT,’ written on the torso,” Kogami adds.

“Who would do such a thing?” Kunizuka asks with horror.

“That’s our job to find out,” you say as levelly as you can, but you’re disgusted on the inside.

The crime in its entirety is a message to the public: Nobody is safe. It’s an easy and quick way to get the people to panic and maintain a constant, unhealthy stress level.

“Get the body down, so we can open up the area to the public again, and send it for an autopsy,” you instruct Hinakawa who’s operating the medical drones. “I want to know everything, down to the minutest of details. We’re going to find this bastard before he can strike again.”

* * *

The fans rotate lazily overhead as the severity of the recent crime hangs in the air of CID Division One's office. The body has been sent for processing and now all you can do is wait for Karanomori to send word about the results, allowing time for speculations based on the previous crimes.

“If we’re to look at the past three incidents, each crime took place once a week, but never on the same day,” Ginoza states.

“Most crimes don’t take place within such short spans of time because the suspect usually takes time to plan out his or her actions,” Kogami adds, arms crossed over his chest.

“Which means we’re looking at someone with an above average mind and thinking skill,” you conclude. “Someone who’s smart enough to plan all of this and execute it without leaving a trace of himself.”

“We need to find out how he’s not been caught by street scanners. His psycho pass must be well above 300 by now,” Tsunemori says, her chin resting upon her folded hands as she sits at her desk.

“He could just be avoiding them,” Kogami suggests. “If you stick to back roads, side streets and red areas, there would be no scanners to come across.”

“Yeah, but you’re missing the fact that when he hangs up his victims, he has to come into contact with at least one scanner, especially when he’s using buildings that often garner a lot of attention. For example, his past victims were each strung from a conglomerate building, a mall and a five-star hotel,” you counter.

“So, we can narrow down his next location to a highly publicised area, but that’s still a lot of buildings to keep an eye on,” Ginoza says.

“He hasn't used the same type of building twice. Assuming that's for a reason, maybe we can eliminate conglomerates, malls and hotels,” Tsunemori adds.

“So, we’ve got schools, apartment buildings, and what else?” you ask before thoughtfully chewing on the inside of your cheek.

“Ministry of Welfare buildings. I wouldn’t put it past him to go that far, especially if he’s trying to boast about the fact that he’s evading us,” Kogami says.

“Yes, but if we have to wait for him to string up his next victim to catch him, we’ve already lost,” Tsunemori argues until her wristcom starts to chime. “Ah, Karanomori-san is calling.”

“Autopsy results are in,” comes Karanomori's grim voice. “You guys might wanna come down here.”

Once you all move downstairs, she grimaces at her screens as she brings up the data, fingertips flying across her digital keyboard. “This has to be the worst case I’ve seen since The Specimen Case,” she states with a frown before moving onto the results. “It’s the same MO. First raped, then tortured, almost to the brink of death, and lastly, asphyxiated. He’s left no traces of himself. He’s completely cleaned up his semen from her vagina and he’s burned off the skin around her neck to cover any, if at all, fingerprints he may have left while strangling her. He’s left no bodily fluids and there was nothing left behind at the crime scene either. It’s spotless.”

Your fists tighten at your sides. “We have to find something- _anything_ before he strikes again.”

“I agree,” Tsunemori says. “What’s the age range of all the victims?”

“First was 32. Second was 26. Third was 39,” Karanomori replies. “I've been through their files. There’s no consistency, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Jobs?” asks Ginoza.

“Hotel manager, personal assistant and nurse, respectively.”

“M-mode of transport?” Hinakawa asks.

“Car, train, car.”

“Bring up their physical and medical profiles,” Kunizuka says.

“There’s no consistency or similarities between them,” Karanomori replies, but brings them up on the screens anyway.

“How about-” begins Kogami, but you interrupt him.

“We’re getting nowhere with this!” you snap. “It has to be something deeper. Something not so easily glimpsed from the surface or something we don’t have any data on. If we keep asking questions that are so point blank, we’ll never get anywhere. It’s late and our minds aren’t working when we’re trying to overwork them. Go home and take a break so we can come back tomorrow and hopefully have a fresh look at this case. We have till Sunday before he might attack again. That’s just three days.”

Ginoza is about to argue, but Tsunemori speaks first, her authority unchallenged. “[Last Name]-san is right. Today was a stressful day. Go home and get some rest so we can work tomorrow with clear minds,” she dismisses everyone.

You sigh in relief, not being able to take thinking about the case for a minute longer, and walk out. You find yourself in the building’s gym two hours later, looking to distract your mind. You’ve changed into leggings and a sports bra and have a droid set to it’s highest combat level. It’s in the middle of sparring with it that your eyes catch sight of someone walking in, effectively grabbing your attention for a split second and allowing you to get punched in the shoulder by the droid.

“Son of a bitch!” you hiss as you lose balance and fall backward, painfully landing on your butt.

The droid stops moving automatically and you groan as you massage your shoulder, which is bound to turn purple and blue within the next hour.

“You okay?” asks a voice and you look up to see Kogami, his arm outstretched as he offers you a hand.

You take it and he helps you up. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little bruised, that’s all. What are you doing here? It’s literally one-thirty AM,” you say with a glance to the clock.

He shrugs. “I don’t sleep much. Besides, I hadn’t fit in a training session today, so I thought I’d come up here. What about you?”

“Couldn’t sleep. My brain is just overthinking this case and I needed a distraction.” You bend down and pick up the device to restart the droid. Just as you’re about to get a good kick in, it halts. You frown and glance over at Kogami. “Now, don’t you tell me to stop and go home. I’m not going to get sleep either way.”

“I was actually going to ask you if you want to spar with me,” he says with half a smile.

Blinking in surprise, you straighten up. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”

You tighten the hold of the band on you hair as he puts away the droid before getting into stance once he returns. He mirrors your form, eyes trailing over your body to note the strength of your posture, searching for weaknesses. He notices the subtle contours of your arms and thighs as they flex; you're much stronger then he'd originally thought.

“So, what’s your style of fighting?” you ask, making small talk as he slowly advances and jabs a clean punch towards your face. You block it with your right forearm and hold his arm steady with your left as you swing a kick towards his head.

He blocks with his left hand before hiking it under your leg. Realizing what he’s trying to do, you clasp your right hand around the arm under your leg, trying to prevent his next move as he adds his second hand under your leg to hoist you in the air. You curse and switch to interlacing both hands behind his head, allowing him to lift you off the ground so you can lock your legs around his neck in a chokehold. He wraps his hands around your thighs in an attempt to stop you, but you let your upper body swing back to the ground as you twist right and use your legs to fling him to the ground.

He lands in a roll and you hit the floor in a crouch.

“Silat,” he replies as he stands.

You brows furrow and you rise to your feet, too. “Never heard of it. What is it?” you lie easily; Pencak Silat was Makishima's martial art of choice.

“A form of martial-arts. What about you? What’s your style?” He swings his leg through the air and you parry it with your forearm. He uses the same leg to aim multiple kicks at you and you expertly dodge them all.

You shrug as you wait for his next move, circling each other. “A little bit of this, a little bit of that.”

He swings a punch and you parry that too with your hand before swiping at him with your other arm. He grasps your outstretched arm and twists it outwards and your make a sound of pain before using the heel of your free hand to strike him in the face.

He teeters back a few steps and then comes at you again with a punch. You move slightly out of the way, letting your palm take the impact of his punch as you trap his right hand and hit him in the face again with your free fist. He lessens the force of your hit by getting his left hand in between your fist and his face, but it still hits him all the same and he stumbles back again.

He doesn’t attack again for a moment as he tries to figure out why fighting you feels so familiar and you stay your ground, giving him time to recuperate, hands still raised.

Then it suddenly clicks. The last time he fought someone like this, it was Makishima. “You… Your fighting style…”

Realization hits you like a freight train. Makishima taught you how to fight. Kogami has fought Makishima before. Your fighting styles were the same and Kogami was smart enough to realize this.

“I think it’s getting a little late,” you say, dropping your arms and moving out of stance. “And I’m getting a little tired.” You move to the cubby holes where a towel lies. Grabbing it, you smile without emotion. “Thanks for helping me stay distracted, Kogami-san.”

You walk off, leaving Kogami to wonder what had just happened and if he was imagining things.

* * *

It’s been five days since the last murder and currently a Monday. You’re in a new week and you still haven’t found the culprit or any clues regarding the case. The next murder will happen soon and it’s seven in the morning and you’re sleeping. The previous few nights had been a nightmare, with no leads on the case, and it’s finally taken a toll on you, seeing as you're completely knocked out when your alarm goes off.

Groaning in annoyance, you slap a hand over it as you glare at the sun splitting through the gap in your curtains. You’re glad Sibyl had at least granted you a room with windows when they said you could only live at the MWPSB headquarters and nowhere else, but sometimes the sun just sucks.

Slowly you slip out of bed to sit on the edge, yawning as you stretch. You get up and quickly set the coffee machine for brewing in your kitchen before going back to your room and throwing open the curtains.

And then you scream.

Hanging in front of your floor to ceiling window, facing you, is a body strung up by it’s wrists, with the words ‘YOU’RE NEXT’ painted on the torso. You collapse backwards, scrambling behind until your back hits your bed, trying to get as much distance between you and the body as possible.

This is different from his MO. The body usually faces the public so they can read the words written on the abdomen, but this is directed towards you, and you know exactly why.

Makishima has found you.


	5. A Handwritten Threat

_There’s a rustle of sheets and Makishima’s hand slides across your stomach as he turns in his sleep. Goosebumps dash across your skin and you press your lips together to stop yourself from giggling, but the softest of snorts escapes and he cracks an eye open._

_“What’s so funny?” he asks, sleep heavy on his words._

_“You are.” There’s a flatness to your voice and it adds to your subtle teasing._

_“I am?” He quirks an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes._

_“Your face is.” It’s the lamest comeback you can think of, but it spills off your tongue anyway. Oh, how young and naive you are._

_“Is it?” His arm around your waist tightens, daring you to further your teasing._

_Your teeth sink into your lower lip to prevent yourself from saying something you’ll regret and his eyes flicker down to them before looking back into your eyes._

_“Nothing to say, hmm?” he asks, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips._

_“Your face is what memes are built upon,” you blurt, unable to help yourself._

_“I’ll keep that in mind the next time you’re smothering it in kisses,” he smirks, before trapping your wrists behind your back and kissing you senseless._

* * *

Breathe. Breathe. This is just Makishima trying to get to you. Calm down. Breathe.

Rising to your feet, you calmly walk to the kitchen and hook your fingers into the handle of your mug, taking a cautious sip, the bitterness of the coffee grounding you. You sigh through you nose, throwing your head back as you run a hand through your hair. “Breathe, [Name].”

You fetch your wristcom from your room, avoiding the urge for your eyes to travel to the body hanging in front of your window, and move back to the safety of the kitchen.

Tsunemori picks up on the sixth ring. “Mm… [Last Name]-san, is it time for work already? Did I oversleep?”

“Sorry to wake you, but there’s been another murder. Come as fast as you can to my room at headquarters,” you say, getting straight to the point.

The change in her tone is immediate. “Understood. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

You only have a thin, loose tank top on and a pair of panties, so you slip into a pair of sweatpants and a bra as you call Ginoza.

“Inspector [Last Name],” he answers, but you can still hear sleep underlying his words.

“There’s been another murder. Come to my room on floor 26, room 2608 as soon as you can.”

“Your room? But why?” The confusion is clear in his voice.

You're not sure what to say that can best sum up the situation in the fewest amount of words. “You’ll see,” is all you can manage to say.

Ginoza assumes the worst and hangs up.

Kogami is already awake when you call him. You can tell by the way he’s breathing, short and ragged, like he’s been working out. “Inspector [Last Name], what is it?” he asks.

“There’s been another murder. Come to my room on floor 26, room 2608 as soon as you can” you repeat.

“Your room? Wh-”

“I know it's confusing, but just do as I say,” you request.

Next is Kunizuka and you’re greeted by Karanomori’s voice in the background.

“Who is it calling at such an unearthly hour?” she grumbles.

“It’s quarter past seven. It’s not that early,” Kunizuka replies. “What is it, Inspector [Last Name]?”

“Another murder. Come to room 2608 on floor 26 as soon as you can.”

She doesn't even bother asking why, always the one with a straight head on her shoulder. “Understood.” She hangs up.

Last is Hinakawa.

“I-Inspector [Last Name], good morning. Am I late for work?” he asks once he picks up.

“No, don't worry, you're not, but there’s been another murder. Come to room 2608 on floor 26 as fast as you can.”

“O-okay,” he replies, confusion evident in his voice, but his shy demeanor preventing him from asking anything.

Ending the call, you sigh, running your hand through your hair again. That feeling of discomfort, of something horribly gone wrong, is still settled in your chest and it's made home there, refusing to leave. You need a smoke, you decide. Rummaging through your cabinets, you curse; you’re all out. You don’t smoke often, but when you do, it's when you’re a little high-strung and about to lose it. So instead, you go and brush your teeth.

Ginoza is the first to arrive, hair a little mussed and tie missing, signs of his rush to get ready. He still has a mind to exchange the normal pleasantries of wishing you a good morning as you lead him to your room. He simply stares out your window for a moment, years of experience as a detective hardening his outward reactions. He's seen worse. He’s about to ask you a question when your door buzzes again; it’s Kogami and Kunizuka and you let them enter.

“Do you have a cigarette?” you ask Kogami as you walk them to your room.

“You smoke?” he asks curiously with an eyebrow raised.

You enter your room and he stops dead in his tracks as he looks out your window.

“Just when I get overly stressed out,” you reply, rubbing your upper arms with your hands, trying to find comfort in the action.

He holds out his pack. “Take as many as you need.”

“Thank you.” You take one and he hands you his lighter. Shoving the cigarette between your lips, you light it before inhaling deeply, eager for that calming buzz the nicotine fills you with.

Tsunemori and Hinakawa arrive at the same time and once again the latter does his best not to puke after seeing the body.

“We were too late,” Tsunemori regrets, gritting her teeth as she stares out the window.

“But why Inspector [Last Name]'s window?” asks Ginoza.

“And why facing inwards rather than outwards?” Kogami adds.

Ginoza turns to face you. “Do you think it’s a message directed towards you?”

“It’s a taunt, I think,” you reply, lying blatantly through your teeth when you know the real reason. “That we couldn’t stop him in time. He’s probably mocking us. He must have found out Division One is working the case and that my room has windows and targeted me because of that.”

“Why not Inspector Tsunemori’s apartment, then?” counters Kogami.

You glance at him. “The MWPSB building must be a landmark that helps him boast his abilities. And for all we know, Tsunemori-san might be next.”

“We can discuss this later. For now, let’s get an examination of the crime scene and get the body down so it doesn’t have to hang in front of [Last Name]-san’s window anymore,” Kunizuka says.

“Could you leave the string from which the body is hanging from? I want to go check out the place where our perpetrator had been,” you explain.

It takes half an hour for the drones to completely scan the area outside your window and get the body in and out of your flat. All of the enforcers go back to their respective living quarters to shower and get ready for the day except for Kogami, who stays back with Tsunemori at her behest.

“Why don’t you two head on up,” you say, anxiously running a hand through your hair for the umpteenth time that day, a nervous tick. By this point you look like a squirrel has made a home out of your head. “I’ll quickly take a shower and join you.”

“Are you sure? We can stay here until you finish, if you like,” Tsunemori offers, concern apparent on her features.

Smiling in reassurance, you insist, “No, that’s alright. Start working on the case. That's more important. I’ll be up in fifteen, I promise.” With that, you walk to your room to take a shower.

Once you’re gone, Tsunemori turns to Kogami. “Stay here till she’s ready and accompany her up.”

“I'm pretty sure she told us to head upstairs without her,” Kogami replies.

“I know, but I don’t want her to be alone after experiencing something like that,” she reasons. He nods in understanding and she smiles. "Then, I’ll take my leave now.”

Kogami makes himself comfortable on your couch and lets his eyelids slide shut while you stand under your shower-head, scalding water rolling down your back as your mind runs at a hundred miles per hour.

You’d always known this day would come, you just didn’t think it would be so soon. You’re not prepared in the slightest, is all you can think. You’re very aware of all the ways he can attack you, mentally and physically, and quite frankly, he’s already doing the former right now. He knows all your vulnerabilities and weaknesses, not to mention he also knows how to turn your own mind against you.

You’ve finally found a place you’ve been able to call home for the past three months and people who’ve come to accept you, even if they don’t know who you really are, but it’s the best you can ask for in such circumstances. You can’t lose them just yet, and you know Makishima will go after them just to instigate you.

It’s all a little suffocating and overwhelming, and you need a way to let out your frustration that doesn't involve punching the wall and inevitable injuring yourself. So you turn the faucet all the way to cold and scream at the top of your lungs. After all, there’s no one to hear you, right?

You’re shivering and frozen to the bone by the time you exit the shower, a towel wrapped around your body and another lying atop your head, which you use to rub at the water drenching your hair. A glance at the clock tells you that you have five minutes to get ready and head up, but first you need some searing hot coffee, because, while the cold shower did help with soothing your frustrations, you needed some warmth now.

Throwing the towel for your hair aside, you exit your room and then stop when you realize you're not alone. There’s someone on your couch and his grey eyes are watching you.

Your eyebrows jump a couple millimeters and you blink in mild surprise. “Well, thank God I decided to put on a towel,” you say conversationally. “Could you brew some coffee for me, please?”

He blinks, not expecting your reaction. “Sure.”

“Thank you.” You walk back into your room.

You get dressed in formal work attire in under a minute and exit your room again, your blazer and coat under your arm. There’s coffee slowly filling in the pitcher on your kitchen counter and Kogami is still on the couch as if he never moved.

“I thought I asked you to go up,” you say, switching off the machine once it's filled up enough and retrieving two mugs from a cabinet.

“Inspector Tsunemori asked me to stay and accompany you up,” he replies.

“Figures,” you huff. “She's too kind and caring for her own good.” You fill up a mug with steaming coffee, eyes carefully trained on it before glancing towards him. “Would you like some coffee? You did make it after all.”

“Sure.” He gets up, joining you at the kitchen island.

“Sugar?”

“One spoon.”

“Milk?”

“No, thanks.”

You slide his mug over to him where he stand opposite you after mixing in the sugar. Taking a sip from your own mug, you let out a soft sigh. “I must look pathetic to you right now; screaming in my own shower like a lunatic. I'm sure you heard it,” you say with a satirical smile as you gaze at the inky pool of brown in your cup.

He drinks slowly from his mug and then looks at you. “I think you’re entitled to it after what’s happened to you today. It’s better to let it out rather than bottle it up and have your psycho-pass turn cloudy as a result.”

Your eyes flit up to meet his and you give him a half smile. “Thanks, but I just think you're too kind to judge me.” Tilting your head back, you drink deeply from you mug, effectively finishing off your coffee in several gulps. “We better get going or we’ll be late.”

You deposit your mug in the sink and grab your blazer from the back of the couch while Kogami finishes his coffee.

“You can just leave your cup on the counter,” you say, glancing up at him from where you're slipping your feet into your boots.

“It's the least I can do, as thanks for the coffee,” he says as he rinses his mug with water and places it in the sink next to yours.

“Thanks,” you smile again, untucking your hair from under your blazer.

You exit your apartment, Kogami falling in step beside you as you make your way to the elevator, riding it all the way up to the forty-first floor.

“I thought I told you two to leave so you could begin work on the case,” you say upon entering, gently chastising Tsunemori. “My mental well-being is not as important as the case.”

Tsunemori sighs, giving you an innocent pout. “Now, don’t treat yourself like that. I’m only concerned about you.”

“I literally walked out of my room in just a towel because I thought I was alone, only to find Kogami-san was on my couch,” you say matter-of-factly.

Colour floods her cheeks as her eyes widen in shock and embarrassment. “Oh.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Sorry,” she says with an apologetic grin. “Next time I’ll warn you.”

“So, what do we have on our victim?”

“Karanomori-san still has to get back to us with the results. She should be calling anytime now.”

“Okay, you wait on that. I’m gonna go up to the roof and check the place where the cable was used to string up our victim,” you say, shrugging your coat on in preparation of spring's morning chill.

“I’ll go with you,” Kogami says, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair.

“Let me know if you find anything. I’ll wait for the others and then head down to the lab. Meet us there,” Tsunemori informs.

You nod in response and head to the lift with Kogami, taking it to the roof.

There’s a crisp chill in the air despite the sun’s rays having full reign without any clouds. Your bare hands find refuge in the pockets of your coat as you walk the expanse of the roof, eyes scanning for the anchorage of the rope while Kogami searches the half of the roof you’re not on. There are various instruments bolted down to the roof and you haven’t the faintest idea what they do, but they’re huge and look important; maybe for ventilation and other related stuff, you think.

You’re about to move on, when it catches your eye; a thick cable hooked to one of the important looking instruments which reaches up to your waist.

“Kogami-san, over here!” you call out, not even bothering to look in his direction as you inspect the cable.

You’re sure there mustn’t be a fingerprint to be found, but you’ll send it to the lab anyway. The cable itself is sturdy and of good material, made sure not to snap or give way. It’s connected to a carabiner which is shackled to a handle on the instrument making a low humming sound.

Kogami is just a few meters away when you notice a roll of paper curled around the top of the cable near the carabiner. You delicately unfurl it from the cable, making sure your fingers don’t touch anything that will go to the lab later.

' _I hope we meet soon,_ ' it reads in an elegant scrawl, a small winking face drawn at the bottom. Your eyes narrow at the handwriting; it's not Makishima's.

Kogami is only several feet away now and you inconspicuously shove the small piece of paper into your coat’s pocket.

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” he questions.

You smile convincingly. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just gonna take a walk around the area to see if our perp left anything behind, which I seriously doubt. You can take a look at the cable if you want, then we’ll head back down.”

You leave him to examine the cable while you move away. With shaking hands, you extract the note from your pocket and read it again, and again, and again, until all you can think of is when your path will cross with this murderer.

You nearly jump out of your skin when Kogami’s hand touches your shoulder; thank God you’ve put the slip of paper back into your pocket.

“I didn’t find anything. What about you?” he asks.

“Nothing. I didn’t expect him to leave behind anything anyway.”

“Let’s go back down, then.”

The rest of the enforcers are there when you reach Karanomori’s office and the whole place smells of smoke, tendrils of it wafting up from her cigarette. It's stuffy and warm and the number of people in the small amount of space isn't helping. There’s a blown up image of the victim on the screen with a list of results to the right of it.

“She was just nineteen,” she says as you and Kogami enter the room. “The poor thing.”

“Anything of importance from the results?” Tsunemori asks.

She shakes her head, blowing out a puff of smoke. “Nothing. It’s just the same as the rest of the victims.”

“Wait, you said she’s nineteen, right? Could you check if she was living alone or with her parents,” you inquire.

Karanomori’s sticks her cigarette back between her lips to free her hands, fingers flying across the keyboard. “Living with her parents,” she says around her cigarette.

“Send their contact number to my communicator. I’ll go pay them a visit. Maybe they’ll know where she was before she was kidnapped.” You turn to your fellow inspector. “Tsunemori-san, could you please accompany me? You have a way with comforting people that I don’t.”

“Of course,” she responds without hesitation.

It isn’t long before you’re sitting in the quaint apartment of a couple who have red, puffy eyes and are subduing their crying as best as they can.

“We’re so sorry to ask you these questions after you’ve just received such devastating news, but it will help us catch the person who’s responsible for your daughter’s death,” says Tsunemori.

The man gives his best attempt at a smile, which isn't much, to say the least. “We understand.” His voice shakes and he pauses, trying to compose himself. “What can we tell you?”

“We were wondering if your daughter had told you of her whereabouts before she disappeared,” you inquire. “Is there a place she was visiting quite frequently recently or a place in general she liked to go to?”

The mother glances at her husband in question, for which she gets his silent approval in the form of a minute nod.

“Fortunately, our daughter was quite open with us,” she confesses. “Recently, there'd been a place she'd liked to go to. It was a place we were strongly against because of its shadiness, but she was adamant since she claimed the place lifted her spirits and made her feel alive. She said it’s a place where there are no cymatic scanners and that it allowed people to be a bit free and let loose a little. Once we saw how happy she was after visiting the place weekly and that her hue wasn't clouding, we were a little less against it, so we didn't reprimand her from it.”

“Do you know the name of this place or the type of place it was?” you ask, shifting forward in your seat unconsciously.

“If I remember correctly, it was a club called Pandemonium. I'm sure if there's anything related to her kidnapping and murder, it has to be that place,” she says with conviction.

“Thank you so much for your time and cooperation. We’ll keep you updated with how the case goes,” Tsunemori says with a polite smile as she stands and bows.

You rise with, following suit before exitting the apartment, finally having something go on for your investigation.

You arrive at the MWPSB headquarters twenty minutes later, asking Karanomori to look up the club and any security cameras around the area and their footage for the nights before the murders. She confirms all four victims were heading to the club the night before the crimes and that they were frequent visitors to the club.

“This is how our perpetrator has been choosing his victims,” you state when you're back at the office on the fiftieth floor. “It's the only thing that links our victims together and it would be a perfect place to scope out people with no cymatic scanners around.”

“So, now we just have to figure out a way to infiltrate the club to find our suspect without getting caught as policemen,” Ginoza says.

“We could use holograms,” Hinakawa proposes shyly.

“No, the club has scanners for that,” says Tsunemori. “The idea of the club is to be your true self and let loose.”

“We could go looking like normal, everyday citizens,” suggests Kunizuka. “We just have to put on some makeup to alter our appearances.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Tsunemori agrees. “Now, the question is who goes? I think it would be better to just have two people inside with the rest on standby. One Inspector and one Enforcer.”

“I'll go. I think it's fitting since he targeted my apartment,” you say, knowing you'll have to face your inner demons some day or another. Besides, if this guy is really targeting you, you don't want anyone getting caught in the middle.

“Okay, [Last Name]-san and who?”

“I could go,” volunteers Ginoza.

“Your metal arm may stand out. After all it's MWPSB issued and will probably flag the scanners,” counters Kunizuka.

“Then, I'll go,” Kogami says.

“Alright, then. [Last Name]-san and Kogami-san, the two of you will go to Pandemonium tomorrow night and scout out who might be our perpetrator,” Tsunemori finalises.

“Understood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You and Kogami going to a club to hunt down a killer. What could possibly go wrong?


	6. Pandemonium

_“Why are we doing this again?” you ask, an eyebrow arched beneath your blindfold._

_“To teach you how to cook,” Makishima replies simply._

_“Well, excuse me, but I cook just fine,” you retort._

_“Sweetheart, you nearly killed Choe Gu-Sung with your last attempt at a meal.”_

_“Oh, please. He overreacted.”_

_Makishima can nearly hear you rolling your eyes. “I dare say not. Now eat this.”_

_Something warm and soft meets your lips and you part them, allowing Makishima to feed you._

_“Pasta,” you say. “Definitely pasta.”_

_“Yes, but what type of pasta and what sauce?”_

_“Penne, and... Can I have another bite?”_

_He feeds you some more._

_“Okay, that’s definitely your world famous pesto sauce, am I right?”_

_There’s a chuckle. “Correct.”_

_Next is soup and bread, and with each food item, Makishima questions increase in difficulty, based upon the ingredients and how it’s made._

_“Good,” he finally says after ten minutes of food tasting and questioning. “Now, how about this?”_

_A finger tilts your chin up and a pair of soft lips meet yours. You hum in approval and his teeth nip at your lower lip before he runs his tongue along the reddening skin. He pulls away and you slip the blindfold off your head._

_“I think I need another taste of that,” you smile coyly._

* * *

“I can’t fight in this,” you state with certainty, your eyes gazing at your reflection in your full length mirror.

“Well I’m not going to let you go to a club in a pantsuit,” Karanomori chastises. “You’d look so out of place. Besides, you have such a nice figure, might as well show it off.” She dusts off your backside for added emphasis.

You roll your eyes. “Hands off the merchandise.”

“I think I did a good job of dressing you up, if I do say so myself,” she smiles as she looks you up and down.

You’re dressed in a backless, emerald dress, with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt that falls till just below your knee. It’s held up by two thin spaghetti straps and has a slit up the thigh, which you're grateful for as it allows you movement. It borders on just the right amount of fancy and casual.

“Don't you think I'm a little over dressed?” You tilt your head to the side in question, eyes still peering warily at your reflection.

“Nonsense!” she dismisses with a wave of her hand. “And even if you are, which I assure you are not, the killer will instantly be attracted to you. So, extra bonus!”

You frown in disbelief. She breezily ignores it.

“And here are the heels to go with it.” She thrusts a pair of strappy, black stilettos into your hands which must be at least four inches high.

“No,” you say flatly.

“Okay, okay. Fine. That was a bit of a far fetch, anyway,” she admits, casting them aside and producing another pair of heels. They're white with a chunky, three inch heel and straps that look secure enough to keep them from falling off incase you need to make a mad dash for your life. “You can't argue with these. Put them on.”

“Can’t I just put them on before going into the club?”

“No, I want to see the whole look on you.”

You let out your hundredth groan of the evening, but slip them on anyway. You have no trouble walking and they feel comfortable enough, you just dread the time when you have to fight in them.

“Well, aren’t you a fine piece of ass!” she gushes, standing back to appreciate her handiwork.

“Thanks,” you say dryly.

“Now, let’s go show you off to Division One!”

You arrive in the office on the forty-first floor five minutes later, grumpy and a little less than happy.

“Ta-da!” Karanomori beams, gesturing to you like you’re her firstborn prodigy child.

“I feel like a barbie,” you announce flatly.

“You look gorgeous, [Last Name]-san!” Tsunemori gushes.

“Thank you, but I just want to get this over with as fast as possible. Where is Kogami-san?”

“Over here,” comes a gruff voice from behind you.

You turn around and have to hold back the guffaws from erupting out of your mouth. He’s wearing a leather jacket over a black t-shirt with black jeans and leather boots.

Once you’ve got your laughter under control, you speak. “You look like a moody teenager who’s re-entered his emo phase.”

“I second that,” Ginoza agrees, an amused smile playing on his lips.

He frowns. “Well, it's the best I had. And I didn't have Shion helping me out,” he notes, seeing as she's still fawning over your appearance.

She sends a flirty smile his way. “All you had to do was ask, Shinya.”

“I get that you’re trying to blend in, but you’re actually standing out. Pandemonium is more of a classy nightclub than a trashy one. You can just wear your normal work attire without the blazer,” you say. “Go change and meet me downstairs in the car.”

He walks off and you turn to Tsunemori, who's shutting off her monitor and collecting her things.

“Well, let’s head downstairs,” she says, stepping out from behind her desk.

You go over the plan as the elevator descends. “Kogami-san and I will park a block from the club and walk up. The rest of you will stay a one block radius away from us in case we need backup. If tonight proves unfruitful, we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Tsunemori nods. “Let’s hope tonight does not prove to be unfruitful.”

You’re in your car five minutes later, waiting for Kogami with your heels lying next to your feet. The rest have already taken off and you’re idly tapping your foot to a random beat. The passenger side door clicks open and Kogami slides onto the seat next to you.

You glance over his attire and smile. “Much better.”

Starting the car, you pull out of the MWPSB headquarters parking lot and make your way to Pandemonium, engaging in casual conversation with Kogami as you drive. He's easy enough to talk to, but comes off to you as rather closed off and guarded.

“So, how do you wanna do this? I think it would be best if we enter the club at different times instead of together,” you suggest as you near the club.

“I’ll head in first and then you can follow after ten minutes,” he proposes.

You nod as you pull over onto the side of a street and park there. He’s about to get out, fingers wrapped around the door handle, when you stop him. “Wait! Take off your tie.”

He turns to you, brows furrowed. “My tie? Why?”

“It makes you look too uptight, I think.”

He raises an eyebrow in mock teasing. “ _Too_ uptight? So, I’m uptight either way?” He takes off his tie all the same and tosses it to the back seat.

You roll your eyes, a small smile tugging at your lips while you gesture at him to come closer to you. Cocking your head to the side, you quirk your lips in thought before leaning forward and undoing the top button on his shirt and fluffing the collar a bit.

“Better,” you say with satisfaction, looking up at him. That’s when you notice how close you are to him and back away in one swift motion. “Sorry, didn’t realize I was in your personal space.”

“It’s okay,” he says with an amused smile, obviously teasing, before opening the door and stepping out. “Follow me in ten.” He swings the door shut and you watch him walk down the path towards Pandemonium.

In the time you have, you strap your heels back on and reapply your lipstick, checking your appearance in the small mirror on the sun visor before heading after Kogami.

Sure enough, there’s a scanner outside the entrance to the club to check for holograms and weapons, but not a cymatic scanner in sight. You smile politely as your clutch is checked, then walk through the scanner and into the club.

A quick scan of the room tells you Kogami is sitting at a booth trying to ward off a glamorous woman coming onto him and you have to hide the small smile that threatens to stretch your lips. You make your way to the bar and sit yourself on a stool, ordering a drink a second later.

You’re on your third sip of some fancy rose wine the bartender had recommended when a man slides onto the chair next to you, his elbow settling next to yours, just barely touching.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you here before, but might I say, I’m glad you’re here,” he says smoothly, a cunning twinkle in his eyes

With an easy, flirtatious smile, you turn to look at him. “Why, thank you. It’s my first time here.”

He has a messy halo of wavy brown hair and is dressed in a light blue shirt with black trousers. Quite cute, in your opinion. “The name’s Takahashi Kaito, and may I ask you yours?”

“Kimura Shiori,” you lie smoothly. “Nice to meet you, Takahashi.”

“Same to you. So, what brings you here today, Kimura-san?”

“Just call me Kimura,” you wave off, emitting an open and friendly vibe. “A friend recommended the place and I thought I’d check it out. What about you? Do you come here often?”

“Almost every week. It’s a great place to relax, and meeting you is an added bonus,” he flirts shamelessly.

“Oh, please. You flatter me!” you gush, letting your voice go a pitch high to imitate overt feminine bashfulness.

Kogami watches from his booth, untucking a cigarette from a pack after he’s successfully gotten rid of his unwanted admirer. He has to admit, you’re good at luring people in with the way you’ve got a hand on your company’s arm and you’re leaning into his presence. He almost feels sorry for the poor guy. He distracts himself from you as he scans the area. There’s still not a soul who looks suspicious or anyone who looks like they’re scanning the room for a prey, but the night is still young and there’s lots of time to keep searching.

His eyes flit back to your form and you’re now fully facing your company, your hand on his thigh instead of his arm. You’re looking up at him flirtatiously from beneath your lashes and Kogami can tell the poor guy is completely falling for your ruse, hook, line and sinker.

It takes about half an hour for you to coax all the information you can out of him, then you drop a hint you have a husband and the guy quickly bolts. You’ve got a satisfied smile on your face when Kogami sidles into the seat next to you and you raise an eyebrow in question, but don’t look at him.

“You know, you’re going to look like the suspicious one if you just sit alone in a booth and glance around the room every once in a while without even ordering anything,” you say, swirling the pink liquid in your glass around.

He flags the bartender with a wave of his hand, ordering a peg of scotch.

“Do you really think it’s wise to sit next to me? Someone might catch us,” you continue.

“Well, you obviously got some information out of the guy you so easily lead on,” he says, a teasing lilt to his tone.

You shrug. “I girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

“What’d he say?”

You lean in and look up at him with hooded eyes, and he raises an eyebrow in question “If we’re going to be talking, you might as well make it look like we’re flirting to not draw any attention,” you smile sweetly; he notices it doesn't really reach your eyes. “I asked if I was safe here at the club since it doesn’t have any cymatic scanners, and he said all customers here are easy-going, but then he mentioned a guy who comes here every time he’s been at the club and just sits in a corner, just ordering a drink for himself without interacting with anyone.”

“There’s no one here who’s acting like that...” he trails off. “Except me.”

You laugh softly. “I know. That’s because he only comes here past ten o’clock.”

“So we have to just sit here for another hour or so and wait for him?”

You nod, taking a sip from your second glass of wine. “So, partner, what do you want to talk about? We’ve got over an hour to kill.”

It doesn’t take long for you to lose yourselves in idle conversation with each other. You cross into touchy territory halfway through, asking about how the two previous enforcers died, but Kogami doesn’t seem to mind, although he is awfully aware of your hand on his thigh. He knows it’s only to make it seem like the two of you are engaging in meaningless flirting, but he's overly conscious about the ever present warmth of your touch through the material of his trousers. Maybe it's because it's been so long since he's ever done anything like this. Sure, back in the day when he was an Inspector, he did his fair share of sleeping around, but ever since his demotion to an Enforcer, he's gotten rusty.

“So, what made you come back to being an Enforcer even though you feel the system is flawed?” you finally ask.

“I think you’re asking a dangerous question, Inspector,” Kogami cautions. “Questions about a flawed system is what causes one's psycho pass to cloud.”

“I’m not asking about a flawed system. I’m asking about what made you return to it. Two very separate things. And don’t call me inspector here, in case someone overhears. Call me by my name.”

He’s a little taken aback by how straightforward you’re being, something rarely seen between Inspectors and Enforcers, but answers all the same. “I decided to return because I knew staying in the Rehabilitation Center was not an option for me. Doing nothing when Makishima Shogo is still out there is not a route I would ever take.”

"But you also still love this job, despite being an Enforcer and not an Inspector, and feeling the system is flawed. I can see it in your eyes when you're working a case. As long as you have a passion for what you do, you'll be content in life, is what I think," you muse.

"Yeah? And what do you have a passion for?" asks Kogami, turning the tables on you, trying to get a read on your mind.

"I..." you begin, eyes narrowing and brows stitching together in thought as you stare at your glass, idly tracing the rim of it with your middle finger. Then you break into a sudden, soft smile, turning to look at him. "Never mind what I have a passion for. Sybil chose this job for me because it's what I'm best suited for. I must have a talent for it and it benefits this country and the system. That's all there is to it."

"So much for passion," he smirks.

You raise your glass and shoot him a lopsided smile. "So much for passion."

He clinks his glass against yours before you tilt your head back and down the last of your wine.

Glancing at your watch, you sigh. “It’s half past ten and there’s still no one matching our guy’s description.”

“Maybe we’ll have to try again tomorrow.”

“Perhaps,” you agree. “I’m just gonna go use the washroom. Could you keep an eye on my purse?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” You slip off your stool, asking the bartender where the bathrooms are before walking off, navigating towards the back of the club.

You’re washing your hands when you notice the lady behind you may not actually want to use the restroom for toiletry needs. In fact, she may not even be a lady at all, but you’re a second too late and she swiftly hits you over the head with a blunt instrument. You stumble back, disoriented and just barely dodging her next swing. You’re really cursing the heels you’re wearing at this moment and that second glass of wine, and the fact that the bathroom doesn’t have much space for movement is really working against you, not to mention you have no weapon on you. The odds just aren’t in your favour. Still, you raise your fists defensively, ready to go out with as much of a fight as you can put up.

It takes ten minutes for Kogami to realize you’ve been gone far too long. He briskly walks to the washrooms to find no sign of you and ignores employees telling him he can’t be in the back of the club as he makes his way through the kitchen to the rear exit. Crisp air meets his exposed skin as he pushes open the door just in time to see your limp body being thrown into the back of a van and an all too familiar head of silver hair in the passenger seat.

Makishima turns his head to look at Kogami just as the van starts to move, a simper of a smile on his thin lips as he bids adieu with a mocking wave of his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your dress: [Link](https://www.thereformation.com/products/juliette-dress?color=Emerald&via=Z2lkOi8vcmVmb3JtYXRpb24td2VibGluYy9Xb3JrYXJlYTo6Q2F0YWxvZzo6Q2F0ZWdvcnkvNWE2YWRmZDJmOTJlYTExNmNmMDRlOWM2)


	7. Knives Out

_“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a normal life?” you ask, voice cutting through the silence of the room._

_Makishima puts down his book, golden eyes cutting into your gaze. He remembers a time when it was more or less innocent and it brings a smile to his face to see how you’ve changed under his guidance. “I do.”_

_“And?” you prod, expecting more out of the man._

_“And I can’t help but think how boring it would be.” He gets up from where he’s seated on a couch and moves over to where you stand in the doorway. “Can you imagine us; you, a good natured woman, working a job as a secretary, maybe a florist, maybe even a therapist, and me, a stockbroker or an accountant, even a librarian.”_

_“You as a librarian?” you muse, arching an eyebrow. “I think I could actually picture it.”_

_A wry smile curls his lips. “Yes, but imagine what a mundane life it would be. Get up, go to work, come back home, try to enjoy a life set out for you by the Sybil System and then rinse and repeat until you die. Would you really want your life to be governed by a software whose identity we don’t even know? Don’t you think our current lives are a lot more tasteful?”_

_You ponder upon his question for a bit, mulling it about in your mind as Makishima draws even nearer to you. His hands move to the hem of your shirt, gently pushing it up to let his fingers graze at the skin of your stomach. Goosebumps erupt across your skin and you sense him smile devilishly at your reaction._

_“I guess they are,” you finally conclude, looking up to match his bold stare._

_“You guess? What brought this thought into your mind in the first place?” he asks._

_“My old friends,” you admit._

_“The ones who abandoned you when they found out you’re different compared to them?”_

_You nod almost sheepishly, looking away from him once again. “They just seem so happy in their world where nothing troubles them and everything runs smoothly. Their whole future is set out for them and they don’t have to worry about anything.”_

_“Well, darling. It doesn’t have to be so easy for them,” he nearly purrs._

_Your brow furrows as you meet his gaze again. There’s a fire burning in the depths of his amber eyes. “What do you mean?”_

_He smiles, but it’s not in the least bit sweet. It sends a chill up your spine. “I mean, we can make it harder for them. Have a little_ fun _with their lives and let them realize what it’s like to struggle for once.”_

_There’s hesitance in your eyes and Makishima catches it, smothering it out like a flickering flame in a rainstorm with a heady kiss to your lips._

* * *

“What do you mean Makishima _took_ [Last Name]?” Tsunemori asks, her voice jumping a notch.

“I mean I just watched as he stowed her into a van and drove off in it,” Kogami growls into his wristcom.

“How did you even let that happen?” Ginoza lashes out. “You were supposed to have each other’s backs.”

Kogami has to stop himself from yelling at his own frustration at his lack of awareness as he nears the PSB wagon, banging his fist on it. The doors are thrown open and a Dominator is subsequently pointed at his face.

“Oh, it’s just you,” Kunizuka sighs, raising her weapon and shuffling backward.

Kogami enters the van and Tsunemori is already glaring at him.

“Tell me everything that happened,” she orders.

* * *

There’s muted whispering nearby when you finally come to and you pretend to still be passed out to try and listen in on the conversation. At the same time, you’re running a mental check over your body.

There are restraints pinning your wrists to the back of what feels like a wooden chair and your ankles are tied together. Unfortunately, your heels are still on your feet and the georgette dress still clings to your body; not exactly an optimum outfit to fight in. When you’re sure you can’t make out what the whispering is about, you open your eyes, your head rising to meet your assailant.

The whispering stops and a figure appears from the shadows. “So glad you could finally come to,” says a voice.

“Why am I not surprised,” you sneer, as a face to match the voice comes into view. “Nice to see you again, Takahashi Kaito.”

“Nice to see you, too, Kimura Shiori,” he replies smugly. “Or should I say [Full Name]?”

You chuckle mirthlessly, eyeing the man in front of you. He looks the same, only now his shirt is untucked and there’s a predatory glint in his brown eyes. There’s a flash of something metal at his side and your eyes dart to the knife in his hand.

“So, you’re into knives? Kinky,” you say offhandedly, watching as he drags a chair over and sits opposite to you. “Why don’t you give me one and I can show you how to play.”

“Tempting, but I have more pressing issues to deal with,” he says, sliding the knife over your bare knee. It’s not enough to cut your skin, but the cold of it is enough to send a warning.

“You mean you answer to someone above you,” you clarify, smirking as his eyes narrow. “Can't get to the fun stuff because your boss won't let you. That must be fun, having someone to tell you what to do, when to do it. Almost kind of sounds like Sibyl, doesn’t it?”

“Makishima-kun warned me about this,” he smiles.

“About what?” you ask innocently.

“You trying to get inside my head.” He leans back in his chair with a self satisfied smirk. “It’s not going to work.”

“Alright. I get it. You’re prepared. You’ve done your homework. I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” you say condescendingly. “So, what’s your next move? Are you going to kill me? Am I going to be like the rest of your victims; raped, tortured and asphyxiated?”

He shrugs, toying with his knife. “Maybe.”

You almost want to snort; he’s trying to play it cool. “Well, then, darling, do I have a surprise in store for you.”

He narrows his eyes at you. “Oh, really?”

“Mm-hmm,” you nod. “Do you want to know what it is?”

“Go on, then. Enlighten me.”

“I’m wearing a thong!” you announce proudly. “And if I do say so myself, I have an amazing ass. You better admire it enough or this whole thing will have been a waste of time. God knows Makishima loved my ass; used to keep smacking it all the time. Did you know we used to have crazy good sex? I mean, having sex with a madman sure is something else, I gotta say. It really blows your mind. You should try it!”

“Enough!” Takahashi yells. “Makishima-kun never warned me about you being a psychotic bitch.”

“Oh, does my rambling irritate you?” you ask, batting your eyelashes at him sweetly. “I’m surprised he didn’t warn you about this. I’m the Harley Quinn to his Joker. I thought you were all prepared for this, sweetie. What happened? Did Makishima double cross you? Did he not disclose everything like he said he would? You know, he does that sometimes; leaves out little details. I should know, I used to work with the man. Are you feeling betrayed now? Does someone need to call thei-”

You’re abruptly cut off by him growling in frustration, his hand rising in the air with the knife coming down straight for your thigh. You grin. This is exactly what you've been waiting for.

You tip your chair backward just in time for the knife to slice through the rope binding your ankles. It takes some skin with it, but at that moment you couldn’t possibly care as you find your back on the floor. Takahashi takes a moment to realize what’s just happened and you utilize it, rolling to your front and getting to your feet, kicking your heels off in the process. By the time he’s on his feet and prepared for whatever assault you’re about to throw his way, you’re backing into him chair-first.

You collide with his body and you both go down, but the force isn’t enough to break the chair. Cursing under your breath, you roll over again, getting back to your feet. There’s not much you can do with your hands tied behind the chair, so you wait patiently for an opportunity, allowing Takahashi to get to his feet.

His hand still brandishes the knife and you groan internally. This might get painful. He comes at you and you dodge, turning swiftly to hit him with the chair that’s still attached to your body. It smacks him squarely across the side of his body and he stumbles back. He recovers quickly enough, swiping at you with the knife and you narrowly dodge it again, kicking out with a leg and jabbing him in the shin. He buckles and your grin.

“How kind of you to help me,” you croon as you step back and then run up towards him, using his body to lift off into the air with a forceful push from your feet, effectively shoving him back into the floor. You come down on the ground with the chair under you. It hurts a whole lot and you’re sure your back is going to be covered in one big bruise, but it breaks the chair and that’s all you’d been aiming for.

By the time you’ve picked yourself up and found the best length of wood possible, Takahashi is back on his feet. He looks completely at his wits end at this point and looking to end this as soon as possible. With a warcry that begs you to roll your eyes, he charges, knife glinting menacingly in the scant light of the warehouse.

If there’s one thing you’re grateful of from your days with Makishima, it’s the fact that he taught you how to fight. He taught you how to be light on your feet, nimble, flexible, quick and unpredictable. You turn to tiring out Takahashi, easily evading his attempts to slice through your skin. He may good at torturing someone and cleaning up his traces of evidence, but fighting did not seem to be one if his best talents.

It isn’t until his knife swipes too close to your leg and cuts through the fabric of your dress over your right thigh, leaving a thin cut across the skin there, that you decide to step up your game. You still have a jagged piece of wood in your hand and when his hand sweeps through the air again, you block it, your hand wrapping around his forearm firmly and holding it in place. You swing your makeshift weapon through the air, but before it can wound him, he’s dropping the knife out of the hand you have trapped. He catches it with his free left hand and slashes forward.

You grunt in pain as your skin splits and blood spills from your torso, a gash just below your breasts shooting pain through your body. You ignore it as best as you can, continuing with your arm’s motion as the jagged end of the wood pierces Takahashi’s left shoulder. He cries out in pain, dropping the knife in his hand and you kick it behind you.

You have the upper hand now. His left arm is out of commission and you have his right arm trapped by your left hand. You almost forget about his legs, but remember just in time as he kicks one out, causing you to release him as you jump backwards.

The two of you exchange blows for a few minutes and he manages to send your makeshift weapon flying before you once again obtain the upper hand and manage to judo flip him. Big mistake on your part, as you’ve completely forgotten about the knife on the floor. He scoops it up and immediately plunges it into your left thigh, releasing an agonized cry from you.

Takahashi laughs in triumph as you crumple forwards, taking a knee before plucking the knife from your thigh and arming yourself with it, trying your level best to look menacing from your position on the floor. You know pulling the knife from your wound isn't smart, since it just means you'll bleed faster, but it's the only weapon you have now.

“Inspector!”

Your attention darts up, eyes locking on Kogami’s form as he stands on a platform a level above you. He raises his Dominator, pointing it just left of you and abruptly the knife is plucked from your grip as you're hoisted up. Next thing you know it’s being held against your neck and there’s a strong grip on your left forearm as it's twisted behind your back.

“Drop it,” Takahashi yells. “Unless you want to see girly over here a mess of blood and guts.”

Indecision flashes across Kogami’s features before he reluctantly lowers his gun.

“Good boy. That’s exactly how a hound like you should take ord- Ooph!” The wind is wiped out from his lungs as you elbow him in the ribs.

The knife at your neck slices into your skin ever so slightly, but you’re quick, right hand raising to grab his arm and fling him over your back in another judo flip. He’s quick to recover, though, scrambling to his feet and dashing before Kogami can get a lock on him. You’re hobbling after him, as quick on your feet as your wounds allow while Kogami looks for a way down. You follow Takahashi into a warehouse attached to the previous one and it seems this one has no exit, evident from the way he’s nearly shaking on his legs as his eyes dart between you and something behind you.

You turn to find Kogami next to you and pluck the Dominator from his grip, raising it in front of you.

“W-wait! Don’t shoot me! I can lead you to him. I can lead you to Makishima,” he pleads, arms raised mercifully in front of himself.

Your eyes glow blue as it reports a Crime Coefficient high enough for it’s Lethal Eliminator mode. “I highly doubt that,” you say and pull the trigger.

He explodes into blood and messy body parts, and Kogami subsequently loses it behind you.

“Are you crazy? He could’ve led us to Makishima. You just ruined our one lead,” he yells, glaring at you in a way that would make most people run in fear.

You slam his Dominator into his chest as you limp past him. “No. From what you've told me, Makishima isn’t dumb. I’m sure he planned this all out. Do you really think he would’ve let someone like Takahashi in on his whereabouts and his plans? Was there anyone who truly knew the entirety of Makishima’s plans?”

There’s no response from behind you and you can only assume he’s deep in thought. “No.”

“Exactly. Now, let’s go. I want to go home and take the longest nap the world has witnessed.”

There’s shuffling behind you and Kogami follows. “You’re limping.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“Again, I’m aware.”

Suddenly there’s a hand on your shoulder and you’re being turned around. Kogami’s eyes roam your body and you glare up at him as he begins to remove his jacket.

“I’m fine. I can walk. Now, let’s…” You groan in pain, cutting yourself off as your body fails you and keels forward into Kogami. Maybe you’ve lost more blood than you thought. You’re also abruptly very aware of how painful your wounds are across your stomach and thigh.

“You were saying?” comes Kogami’s voice from above you as his hands grip your upper arms, supporting you as he drapes his jacket over your shoulders.

“I was saying,” you begin, pushing off roughly from him with your hands, only to teeter back and lose your balance.

He catches you, his arms around your waist as amusement sparkles in his grey eyes. “Yes?”

“Okay, so maybe I’m a little worse for wear,” you admit.

“A little?”

“Just shut up and help me to the vehicle,” you groan.

He sighs, adjusting his grip on you as he slips an arm behind your knees.

“What are you- Hey!” You’re in his arms now, your back supported by one arm and your legs by the other as he holds you to his torso.

“If you’re anything like a certain someone I know,” he’s thinking of Ginoza, “I know you’re going to keep protesting, but you can’t walk on your own, so just shut up and keep still.”

You sigh, groaning again as your chest heaves painfully. “How did you even find me?”

“Shion put a tracking chip in your heels.”

You laugh dryly before stopping in pain. “That’s smart.”

“We narrowed it down to this complex when something blocking the sensors stopped us from pinpointing your exact location.”

You close your eyes, too exhausted to reply.

“You can sleep if you want,” he suggests, glancing down at you.

“Oh, yeah, cause your arms are _so_ comfy,” you drawl sarcastically.

His lips quirk in amusement. It’s been awhile since he’s met someone with as much casual sass as you dish out. “Would you rather I let you walk on your own?”

You crack an eye open, frowning at him. “You know I would.”

He huffs with a disbelieving shake of his head. “That’s true. Just relax. We’re almost there.”

“Mmm,” you reply, shutting your eyes again, and before you know it, you're unconscious in his arms.

* * *

A laptop sits on Makishima’s lap, his eyes gazing over your form again and again as it spars with Takahashi’s. You still have the same spunk he knew all too well from his time with you, not to mention you look divine in that dress.

He growls at his own thoughts, slamming the laptop shut and getting up from his seat, moving to a window that overlooks the city. He dials a number and a feminine voice picks up.

“Yes?”

“Takahashi is dead. I’m leaving it to you,” Makishima says simply.

“Of course. I won’t disappoint you.”

The line goes dead and he throws his head back, allowing his eyes to flutter close. Images of you flash beneath his eyelids, scenes that depict you kissing Kogami and laughing at Makishima’s helpless face. His eyes snap open, banishing the imagery from his mind. He shouldn’t be this obsessed with you, but he can’t stop himself from feeling this way. His fists tighten at his sides.

He’ll have you one day, dead or alive.


	8. Chased Rabbits

_ “Are you sure it's okay to be out in plain sight like this?,” you ask, eyes nervously sweeping back and forth among the masses. The streets are bustling with people, joyful and carefree with the holidays approaching. _

_ Snow flutters down from the inky sky, barely visible as it dusts Makishima’s silver hair before melting into it. His hand finds yours, calming you beside him. “Of course. Sybil doesn’t recognize us as normal citizens; there’s no reason for her to flag us. Besides, how are we supposed to keep an eye on your friend without tracking her down first?” _

_ “I’m still not sure about this,” you confess. “Killing people I never knew is one thing, but taking the life of someone I knew, someone I was close to…” _

_ “It isn’t any different, [Name],” says Makishima simply. “At the base of their existence, humans are all alike. Take away Sybil, and there are no longer the elite with their sparkly hues and scum with their muddy hues. Your friend is just like the people I had you use as target practice, all of them cronies of Sybil. Simple-minded and useless. Her only difference was that she abandoned you. That should, in effect, make it easier for you.” _

_ You go rigid, eyes darting around frantically, hyper aware of the people around you and the fact that they may have overheard Makishima’s little speech. He notices and chuckles; he finds your nervousness cute.  _

_ “Afraid someone overheard?” he asks, effectively snapping your eyes back to him. _

_ “There are so many people around, there might be a chance,” you say. _

_ “Nothing can happen to us,” he assures you. “Our hues are pure white. And if someone were to have overheard us, good. They can benefit from the ensuing thoughts they might have. If they question the system, even better.” _

_ “It's funny,” you smile wryly. “We're told not to go chasing those rabbits, yet you do it with abandon of care.” _

_ He’s quiet for a moment, eyes gazing into the distance as if looking at a memory of the past. “Well, that's what has led me down this path. In all the right sense, I love humans. I just want to see them thrive. I want to seem them have control over their emotions and make their own decisions. By chasing these rabbits, as you call it, I have come to this conclusion that the sole reason I was brought into this world and have this condition, is so I can liberate these people and show them the way of true humanity.” _

_ He spots the woman from your past and he smiles suddenly, like the devil has been summoned within him. “Just like we will show your friend soon.” _

* * *

Sweat drenches the nape of your neck and chest when you wake, Makishima’s deviously angelic smile haunting your dreams from two seconds ago. And when there’s movement to the right of you, you lash out, hand darting out from beneath the sheets and wrapping around a thick neck, your nails digging into pale skin.

It takes your dream-laced mind a little too long to register the slate grey eyes in front of you are not amber and your grip on Kogami’s neck loosens. It takes you even longer to register his hand firmly around your wrist, and you let go completely, hand falling uselessly to your side. Kogami is acutely aware of the steel in your eyes as you look him over, as if making sure of something before you finally relax, your eyes fluttering shut. He can’t help but dwell on the absolute fear in them when you were glaring at him just moments ago; fear and an overwhelming sense of power mixed with anger.

“I’m sorry,” you say softly as he takes a seat in a chair beside your bed. You’re in one of the infirmary rooms, no doubt the result of you having suffered multiple wounds during your abduction.

He doesn’t respond, still trying to pinpoint where those emotions came from and who they’re meant to be directed at. It's very possible they’re byproducts of your time with Takahashi Kaito, but it seems to run deeper than that.

“You’re looking at me funny. Is there something on my face?” you ask after he still hasn’t spoken.

“Sorry,” he answers quickly, brushing his thoughts aside for later. “You seem to be doing better for someone who’s lost a lot of blood.”

You smile wryly, sitting up before thinking better of it as pain shoots through your torso.

Kogami catches the wince that scrunches up your face momentarily. “I guess I spoke too soon.”

“Yeah, I think you jinxed it,” you say with a pained smile, peering down your shirt to make sure there’s no blood seeping through your bandages. “Are you here for a reason?”

“Can I not drop in on the Inspector whose back I was supposed to have on our latest mission?” he asks.

“You hardly seem like that type of person, Kogami-san,” you say bluntly.

He knows you have him pegged with that line. The only other people he’d bother dropping in on are Tsunemori and Ginoza. He looks at you for a moment; you’re much more insightful than he’d previously thought, and he’s fairly good at profiling people. “You’re right,” he sighs. “I’m here because Tsunemori sent me for your report about your abduction.”

“Is that so?” Your chin is slightly raised as you effectively stare him down.

Had you really seen through him so easily? Kogami ignores the thought. “Yes.”

“She hardly seems the type to bother someone who’s recovering,” you say casually. “I’ll ask again. Did she really send you down here or are you here of your own accord?”

His brow furrows and he wants to glare at you, but sighs in defeat instead. “She didn’t send me here.”

“Kogami-san,” you begin. “I understand you want to take down Makishima Shogo as quickly as possible, but I am not going to fuel your obsession with him. You will get my report at the same time everyone else does.”

“It seems almost as if you’re in no hurry to get to Makishima,” he rebuts, trying to taunt you for your comment about his obsession.

Your eyes narrow at him, slicing into his with a venom he isn’t used to seeing in an Inspector. It catches him mildly off guard; he was expecting a negative reaction out of you, but nothing like this. He notices your blood pressure rising, his gaze darting to the monitor before moving back to you.

You rise into a sitting position, pulling yourself as tall as you can while you ignore the pain in your abdomen, staring him down from your new height. “Don’t act as if you’re the only one affected by this case anymore,” you say in a dangerously low voice. “You may have been the first to be, but now there are others just as hurt as you are. They want vengeance as much as you do, however, they’re not letting it spin them out of control as you are.” You pause, letting the weight of your words sink in for a second. “Tsunemori-san lost one of her closest friends to Makishima. You all lost Kagari Shusei to him. Ginoza-san lost his father to Makishima, not to mention he lost you, his best friend, to him.”

“Me?” Kogami questioned. “Last I checked, I'm still alive.”

You scoffed. “Are you sure about that? The way you live your life, as if it’s solely for the sake of taking down Makishima, sure seems like you're not.”

He rises from his chair to stand next to your bed, fixing you with a glare that would send a normal person screaming for their life, but you simply match his gaze with your own, despite the fact that he’s looking down at you now.

“I don't think you have all your facts down, Inspector, to be saying that,” he cautions in a controlled growl. “Don't spout things when you don't know the full story.”

His statement touches a nerve a little too close to home and you nearly snap, almost pouring out all the brainwashed misery you’d lived through with Makishima for so many years, but you keep that information tightly sealed, instead grabbing his tie and pulling him down to eye level with a strong jerk.

“I may not, but I do know that how you’re acting now isn’t benefiting anyone in the slightest, not even you,” you say levelly. “So take your obsession back to where it came from or you might just end up in back in the Rehabilitation Center because you couldn’t handle a fucking case.”

Kogami opens his mouth to argue, even though he knows everything you’ve said is true, but he’s interrupted when Karanomori bursts into the room.

“[Name]-chan, you BP is through the roo-” She pauses when she sees the situation in front of her before rushing forth to break you and Kogami apart.

You let go of his tie and he straightens, moving back as Karanomori hovers over you, but his fiery gaze remains and you continue to match it with your icy one.

“You shouldn’t be stressing your abdomen so much by sitting up,” Karanomori frets, beginning to unbutton your shirt to check your bandages before pausing and glaring at Kogami. “I don’t care what you came here for, but get out now.”

He finally glances away, turning swiftly on his heel and exiting the room. You collapse backwards with a huff, allowing Karanomori to undo your bandages and redress your wound.

“What was that about?” she asks casually. “I freaked out when I saw your blood pressure go crazy in the lab and came rushing here.”

You sigh offhandedly, draping an arm over your forehead. “I don’t think I want to talk about it.”

She shrugs. “Suit yourself, but if you ever want to talk, I’m always here. I love a bit of gossip.” She winks and a corner of your mouth quirks up. “You don’t get much of it in the MWPSB.”

“I imagine you don’t, unless some Inspector hooks up with an Enforcer,” you say. She smiles with hidden information and you laugh before you can help yourself. “Okay, I’ll bite. What do you know?”

“It’s happened before.”

“What? An Inspector and an Enforcer dating?” you ask in surprise.

She nods. “Mm-hmm.”

“Is that even allowed?” you wonder aloud.

She shrugs again. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your duties, I think it’s allowed, but I'm not entirely sure.”

“Huh. Never would’ve thought.”

“But it doesn’t happen often. Most Inspectors are too afraid of getting close to latent criminals because it might cloud their hue.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. I feel like Tsunemori-san and I are the only ones to treat Enforcers like they’re real people and not criminals.”

“Well, that’s true.”

You sigh. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we were all equals without Sibyl telling us who’s above who.”

“Now, now, Inspector,” Karanomori chastises. “That’s the kind of talk that’ll get you into trouble.”

You don’t reply for a minute as she buttons your shirt back up. “I suppose so.”

* * *

Kogami’s first coping mechanism is to hit the gym, but he doesn’t feel like being around people and doesn’t want to run the chances of bumping into someone while there. He knows if Ginoza finds him like this, he'll see right through him. Maybe the makeshift gym in his living quarters will have to do for now.

His work hours for the day are over and he’s glad he doesn’t have to make small talk with his colleagues, afraid he might just snap at them, too. He sighs, loosening the tie around his neck as he punches in the code to his dormitory. He slips out of his jacket as he makes his way to his room, looking to change into something he can actually workout in.

It’s only an hour later that he begins to tire. His punching bag is looking a little worse for wear and he mulls over whether or not he should bother Ginoza for a sparring session. He’s a good fighting partner and, ever since the passing of Masaoka, his only one.

The memory of you running at him faster than he would’ve thought possible, effortlessly launching yourself into the air and tackling him in an impeccable chokehold runs through his mind. He wonders where you’d learned to fight like that. You hadn’t specified a certain martial art when Kogami had asked, but if he had to peg it down as something, it would be chaotic.

But it isn’t so. He can see you know exactly what you’re doing as you perform a move, a sure and level head perched upon your shoulders. It appears chaotic at first glance and to anyone who doesn’t know better, but to the wiser eye, it’s fluid and easy on your body, memorised and seared into your bones.

He doesn’t know why it’s so hard to profile you. It comes so naturally to him for others. It’s why he acted the way he’d acted when he’d first met Tsunemori, brushing off her fresh-off-the-boat gaze like a pest on his shoulder, not even bothering to spare her a second glance as he deemed her inexperienced and just another voice to obey. You, on the other hand, had been different.

When you’d first walked into Division 1’s office, there was purpose in your steps. You help your head high and didn’t buckle under pressure, handling your first mission with ease and a clear mind. Other than the very basics, Kogami had no clue what lay underneath your skin and what ran the gears in your mind, nor the secrets to how you worked like a well-oiled machine.

The first time you’d caught him staring in an attempt to profile you, you’d merely blinked before smiling politely, a gesture that didn’t meet your eyes. The second time, you arched a brow at him in question before returning your attention back to what had first occupied it. The third time, you’d engaged in a silent staring competition until Kogami finally gave up with a blink and looked away.

He sighs, collapsing on his sofa with a bottle of water in his hand. Maybe he should make you pay a visit to Saiga on the pretense of work so he could do a much better job at picking you apart than Kogami could. He tilts his head back, drinking hungrily from the bottle until it’s empty and placing it on the coffee table in front of him. His mind flashes back to the heated argument the two of you had shared just over an hour ago.

He can’t deny every word that had come out of your mouth had been true. He doesn’t know how you've come to decipher him so well when he had barely even spent much time interacting with you, but it irks him. He doesn’t appreciate having someone get under his skin when he barely knows anything about them in return. Maybe he’ll keep a closer eye on you from now on.

He finalizes on that last thought, rising from his seat and heading for a shower.

* * *

Tsunemori is the last one left in the office when she begins packing up to leave for the day. The sun has already set and the clock is ticking just past twelve AM. She’s shutting off her screen when the doors to the room slide open, your figure walking through them.

“[Last Name]-san,” Tsunemori greets in surprise. She hadn’t expected to see you out of the infirmary so soon.

“Oh, good evening, Tsunemori-san. I’m surprised to see you here so late,” you smile, making your way over to her as she gets up with her bag.

“I could say the same to you. Shouldn’t you be in bed getting some rest so you can recover?”

You shrug. “I convinced Karanomori-san that I was healthy enough to be at least moving around, if not going on missions. I thought I should at least come up here and work with the free time I now have on my hands.”

“Work? But there’s nothing really to do,” she says with a furrowed brow.

“Yes, but I have a report due, don’t I,” you smile wryly.

“I suppose,” she mulls over. “But you can always just type it out tomorrow instead of staying up late and not resting as you should be.”

“I’ve slept enough and I’ve been resting so much that it’s making me agitated. I need to be doing something instead of just lying in bed,” you say, moving to your desk and waking your monitor.

She watches you, her big brown eyes filled with concern. “If you say so.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” you assure her, taking a seat.

“Don’t over exert yourself,” she warns, walking to the entrance to the office.

“Oh, by the way, Tsunemori-san,” you call. “Did you actually send Kogami down to the infirmary to ask for my report? I’d feel awful if I lectured him as rudely as I did on the wrong basis.”

She turns to face you, brow furrowed once again. “I didn’t. Why? Did he say something or do something? And why did you lecture him?”

You grimaced at the memory before recounting the events from your morning to her. “I may have been a little too tough on him and a little too harsh with my words,” you finish.

She chews on her lower lip for a moment, something you notice is a habit of hers, before she sighs. “I didn’t think he’d go that far, but I don’t think you’re wrong in lecturing him. Everybody has their way of knocking sense into people, and your way is the route of honesty, however brutal it may be. I won’t lie when I say everything you told him is the truth and maybe you’re the only one who can nail it to him so bluntly, especially since you joined just two months ago and have a fresh view on everything. If there’s anything more I have to say on the subject, it’s that you know when to be tough and it’s good to know you’re not completely cold hearted and don’t regret how you spoke to Kogami. Keep up the good work, [Last Name]-san.”

You smile and it actually reaches your eyes. “Thank you, Tsunemori-san. Now I won’t keep you any longer; either way I have to finish this report or Kogami will absolutely lose it tomorrow. Head home and get some sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, [Last name]-san,” she smiles and leaves.

The office is dark except for the light above you and the glow emitting from your monitor. You turn your attention to it, flexing your fingers in front of you. Time to get to work.

* * *

Kogami’s already been awake for a couple hours by the time he strolls into office. He’d fit in a training session just after he woke up and taken a shower before clocking in at ten in the morning. Just as he notes that he’s the first one to arrive, his eyes land on your slumped form.

You’re seated at your desk, dressed in formal work attire despite your injuries, and your head lays atop your forearms upon your desk. Your eyes are shut and your back gently rises and falls with each breath you take. Your hair is splayed out across your desk and from the way it’s tousled in certain areas, he realizes you’ve been here a while.

He steps quietly over to you, noting your monitor is still awake, a report half finished decorating the screen, before shrugging out of his jacket and covering your upper body with it.

The mechanical whir of the doors behind him alerts him to a new presence in the room and he turns to find Tsunemori frowning at the scene before her.

“Good morning, Inspector,” he greets. “Inspector [Last Name] is asleep, it seems.”

“Good morning, Kogami-san,” she replies with a curt nod. “And I’m not surprised she is. She came here last night, just past midnight, determined to finish her report on her abduction, no thanks to you.”

Kogami’s eyes widen a fraction of an inch before he regains his normal cool composure. “She told you about that?”

“She did and it was out of line for you to have done that,” she chastises.

He prepares himself for another lecture, albeit kinder than yours.

“But I’m not going to lecture you. [Last Name]-san did a good enough job of that, I believe.”

His lips press into a thin line at the memory of your strong voice and sharp words. “She did, indeed.”

“Good,” she nods, moving to your form and gently cupping your shoulders with her hands to wake you up. “[Last Name]-san, wake up. You’re going to give yourself a cramp in that position.”

You groan softly, eyes squeezing before fluttering open. They land on Kogami and your first reaction is to frown. Then they move to Tsunemori and you sit up, suddenly registering the pain in your abdomen from hunching over in the position you’d been sleeping in. You hiss softly, your hand going to the wound just below your chest as you register you may have bled through your bandages. You peer down and sure enough a patch of your shirt is soaked red.

Tsunemori gasps and you rise, taking note of the jacket draped upon your shoulders. You frown once again.

“You need to go to the infirmary,” Tsunemori urges. “Kogami-san, please take her there.”

You shake your head, discarding his jacket and stepping around your chair. “I can get there on my own. I’ll be fine,” you say stubbornly. You take a step and abruptly keel forward, your vision going blurry.

Tsunemori catches you just in time, her grip firm on your shoulders. She begins to nervously fret over you. “[Last Name]-san! Are you okay? Have you eaten anything since getting out of the infirmary last night? You're very weak.”

You shake your head.

Kogami steps forward then, hooking an arm around your waist and slipping himself under your shoulder. “I’ll take her down,” he confirms, assuring Tsunemori of your well being.

You groan internally; you really don’t want to be depending on the man you just sliced open yesterday with a metaphorical serrated knife. At least he’s not lifting you in his arms again. He seems to understand the situation you’re in and doesn’t want to belittle you any further. You make it to the elevator and wait in awkward silence as it descends.

Kogami is the first to break it. “Are you okay?”

You watch the numbers change in the little electronic screen on the wall, shifting uncomfortably in his hold. “Don’t try to make small talk. It doesn’t suit you.”

The doors slide open and the two of you exit, walking to the infirmary as Kogami calls for Karanomori. She arrives just as he’s setting you down on the edge of the bed.

“Not you two again,” she sighs. “I knew I shouldn’t have discharged you yesterday.”

You shrug apologetically. “My bad. I slept in the wrong position.”

“She overworked herself,” Kogami clarifies.

“Oh, I’m sorry for working on a certain report that a certain someone was so impatient for,” you retort.

“You two can fight later. Shinya, get out of here. I need to undress this hot mess,” she says, turning her attention to you.

“And I’m not one?” he says playfully, walking towards the door.

“We can argue about that later,” she smiles with a wink over her shoulder.

“I didn’t know the two of you were so close,” you say once he’s gone.

“Yeah, well, we’ve known each other for a long time. Lately, I’ve been wondering if I should sleep with him. He has a great body and I’m sure he’d be great in bed,” she says casually, removing the soiled bandages from your chest.

You choke on your own saliva and she whacks you lightly on the back. “Wow, I did not see that conversation coming,” you say, eyebrows raising in surprise. “Not to be invasive, but, aren’t you in a relationship with Kunizuka-san?”

“That I am,” she confirms. “Which is why I won’t make any move on Shinya-kun. I’m quite happy with Yayoi.”

“You two make a beautiful couple,” you smile, wincing slightly as she cleanses your wound.

“We do, don’t we?” she gushes, red lips curving in amusement.

You laugh gently, careful not to put too much pressure on your abdomen.

“I do wish Ginoza would get some, though. He’s such a buzzkill sometimes. I think sex would do him some good,” she says offhandedly.

You once again choke and she hits you on the back again. “I don’t think he’s interested in that at the moment, nor do I think he’s interested in anyone.”

She hums in acknowledgement. “I wonder what he would be like in bed.”

“You’re trying to choke me to death with this conversation, I’m sure of it,” you say flatly.

She laughs. “Oh, dear, no. I’m just very open with such topics and my sexuality. I mean, I have such a body, I might as well be.” She finishes dressing your wound and moves to the door as you button your shirt, her head popping around the doorway. “Shinya-kun, you can come in now. The ladies are fully dressed.”

“You say that as if you two have been doing something in here that's not acceptable,” he says impishly.

“Maybe we were. You’ll never know,” she grins.

Your cheeks are flushed by the time he gets a good look at you and Karanomori is lecturing about not doing anything strenuous anymore.

“Yes, ma’am,” you say, smiling wryly at her.

She just huffs at you in return, moving to the door to leave. “Well, when you’re better, I won’t stop you from engaging in some frivolous activities with Ginoza. You can exert yourself then as much as you want,” she says, winking over her shoulder.

You go red in the face. “Karanomori!” you yell, but she’s already gone. The door slides shut and you sigh.

“So…” Kogami begins. “You wanna talk about that?”

“No!” you nearly shout. “There’s nothing to talk about that. She was just joking.”

“I’m sure she was.”

You finally look at him, glaring at him as he leans against the wall opposite you. He’s smiling in amusement with his hands tucked in his pockets.

“There’s nothing I can say to get that smug look off your face, is there?” you say.

He doesn’t reply to your question, instead changing the topic. “You feeling better?”

“Yes, and thank you for helping me down here.”

“You sure say thank you a lot for an Inspector talking to an Enforcer.”

“We’re all humans in the end,” you reply, looking off to the side.

“You say that a lot, too,” he notes.

“It’s the truth. If Sibyl were to cease to exist, we’d all just be humans. We’d be equals.” You pause. “Maybe not complete equals. The corrupt would rise and the poor would fall, but maybe things would be different in certain areas.”

“Inspector,” Kogami says in a cautionary voice that causes you to look back to him. “Those are dangerous waters you’re treading. Don’t lose your mind to them.”

You smile in reassurance. “My Psycho Pass is not so easily influenced, don’t worry. I digress, I’m very thick skinned; not much gets to me. I don’t know if that’s a boon or a bane, but for this career, it works to my advantage.”

He frowns, grey-blue eyes surveying you. “Still, don’t chase that rabbit. You won’t like where it will lead.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” you admit in a bold statement. “I’ve already done my fair share of chasing, and while I don’t like where it leads, I know how to deal with it. After all, I am an Inspector, aren’t I?”

Kogami is taken aback by your bluntness and forwardness. He’s just about to ask where exactly your thoughts have lead you when you rise, smoothing down your blood-stained blouse and your skirt.

“Now,” you sigh. “I have a report to finish.”

He straightens, pushing off from the wall. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m taking you back to your room so you can rest.”

“What? No, you’re not. I’m perfectly fine,” you argue.

“You’re going back to your room or so help me I will throw you over my shoulder and take you there myself. Shion’s orders.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. You’re going to do that to your Inspector,” you challenge.

He grins in an almost predatory way. “Try me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I really like the whole thing going on between the reader and Kogami in this chapter. In the sense that the whole fight makes Kogami realize his Inspector isn't the type to be pushed around easily and that she's also quite mysterious in a way. 
> 
> I think it also builds on their relationship, which so far has been very minimal, because we see the reader deconstruct Kogami as a person and him come to the realization that she's someone who's on equal footing with him both mentally and physically. Also that she's such a person, that despite him accusing her of delaying the report, she gets down to it as fast as possible even though she could've taken her own sweet time to recover. 
> 
> We also see that he comes to know she's not as blasse about Sibyl as normal people are, where they take it in stride with their normal day lives whereas she's taken the time to ponder about it's existence and life without it, which is rare for an Inspector, which surprised Kogami.
> 
> Anyway, that's that. There is a bit of playfulness with Karanomori and we see a lighter, more naughty side of Kogami, especially with the whole bedding Ginoza thing. 
> 
> Also, I gave up with the flashback intros with Makishima.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


	9. The Plight of Inspectors

_Makishima Shogo is a cruel man. All of his victims will agree to this. Their deaths may have come at the hands of others, but it was always Makishima who pulled their strings. You know it to be true and you know it well, yet no force on Earth can convince you that he is something to be feared._

_Maybe it’s just the type of person you are. Maybe it comes with being asymptomatic. Or maybe it’s just because you’re blindly in love with him. But deep down you know it’s simply because he needs you just as much as you need him._

_If it weren’t for Makishima, you wouldn’t be the woman you are today. Unflinching even at the end of a smoking barrel, able to cheat your way out of Death with a silvertongue and, above all, a monster with an angel’s smile._

_Granted you weren’t like that when you first met him. It had taken him quite a bit of reconditioning to help you view yourself as someone to be taken seriously. He blamed it on your childhood and your mentally abusive parents. You were a quiet soul when he’d first found you, minding your own business as a librarian at the ripe age of twenty at one of the last standing libraries in Japan. But by the time he had placated your concerns over killing your childhood friend and finally had you finish off the last in the group, he was proud to say you were his greatest prodigy yet._

* * *

You step out of your room in loose sweatpants and an airy tank top that won't disturb your wound. “Are you happy now?”

Kogami looks over his shoulder at you from his place on your couch, eyes travelling over your body. “Yeah.”

You roll your eyes, moving to your kitchen counter to make yourself a cup of coffee. “Shouldn’t you be going back up? Don’t you have work?”

He rises to his feet, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I do, but I don’t think Tsunemori will mind if I’m making sure you’re not getting back to work or,” he looks at you with a sly smirk, “engaging in any frivolous activities.” It’s been a while since he’s been so teasing; he blames it on his Tsunemori’s rookie status coaxing it out of him and Sasayama’s old antics growing on him.

Your mind cuts to Karanomori’s words from earlier about bedding Ginoza and you immediately pick up the closest item to you, which happens to be a hand towel, and lob it at Kogami. It smacks him squarely in the head; he hadn’t been expecting it.

“Oops, my hand slipped,” you smile sweetly, eyes narrowing down to half crescents.

He has to repress an amused smile. “I’m sure it did,” he says, bending down to collect the towel before tossing it to you.

You catch it easily. “You better get going before my hand slips some more,” you warn.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says playfully, walking to the door. Just as he’s about to exit, he looks over his shoulder, blue-grey eyes meeting yours. “By the way, your secret is safe with me,” he says slyly and then he’s gone, leaving you with your mouth hanging open in outrage.

* * *

It’s six in the evening when Tsunemori receives an e-mail from you, detailing your experience at Pandemonium and your abduction by Takahashi Kaito. She easily reads through it in a short period of time before she forwards it to the rest of Division 1 to keep them in the loop.

It’s seven o’clock when you’re about to sit down for dinner. You’ve just prepared a meal of pan seared salmon marinated in a concoction of herbs, with a healthy side of vegetables and steamed rice; a treat after bleeding out your bandages twice. As you serve yourself a fillet and shovel some vegetables and rice to the side, you realize you may have made a bit more than you’d intended. You shrug; it’ll always come in handy the next day.

You leave your plate on the island in your kitchen as you move towards the fridge, looking for some wine, when the doorbell rings. You frown, wondering who could be wanting to visit you as you set the bottle down on the counter and walk over to the front door, tapping on the little interface to the right of it to activate the camera and then again to open the door.

“Kogami-san,” you greet, mild surprise mixed with perplexion evident in your voice. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Never a man of many words, he forgoes formalities and gets straight to the point. “We need to talk,” he says bluntly. He sounds slightly out of breath and his blazer and tie are missing, like he dropped everything and rushed over.

The urgency of his voice prompts you to snap into your Inspector persona, but your confusion of the situation still makes it into your words. “Um, okay. Sure. Come on in.” You turn around, allowing him to follow you as you move to the living room. “What do you need to talk about?”

Before he can answer, he spots your plate of food and bottle of wine on the kitchen island. He may be a hound, but he hasn’t completely lost his manners. “I’m sorry, am I interrupting dinner?”

“It’s fine,” you wave him off with a idle flourish of your hand. “I hadn’t started yet.” You look at him curiously for a second. “Have you eaten, yet?”

“No.”

“Care to join me?” you ask, diverting from the couches and instead heading for the kitchen.

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” he begins.

“Tell me, Kogami-san, when was the last time you had a home-cooked meal?” you ask passively.

His brows draw together in thought and his mind flits back to a time when Kagari was still alive and invited everyone over for food constantly. Ever since his death, he’s been constantly hitting up the building’s canteen. “It’s been a while,” he admits.

You smile knowingly. “Then you’re not imposing,” you say smoothly, picking a plate from a cupboard and sliding food onto it.

He huffs in defeat, idling near the island as you move around, opening another cupboard to find wine glasses.

You look over your shoulder at him, arms still outstretched with one hand around the stem of a glass and the other hovering in wait near another flute. “Would you like some wine? Or do you prefer some harder type of liquor?”

“Wine will be fine,” he replies, watching as you grab another glass and elbow the cupboard shut.

You move one of the glasses to the other hand, picking up the wine bottle and setting them down on your dining table. You turn back for the plates only to find Kogami already has them along with two sets of forks and knives.

“Thank you,” you say, only polite manners, as he sets your plate in front of you and you pour the red wine into the two glasses.

You seat yourself opposite Kogami, taking a bite of salmon and thoughtfully chewing to make sure it’s fully cooked. Swallowing in satisfaction, you clear your throat with a sip of wine. “Right,” you begin, “what did you want to talk about?”

“Your report,” he replies after a bite of food.

You raise an eyebrow in question, urging him to continue as you mentally make sure you hadn’t divulged anything you shouldn’t have in your report. You’d been careful to leave out any and all conversation relating to Makishima and your past life with him. “What about my report?” you ask.

“It doesn’t contain anything about Makishima Shogo in it,” he states.

“Was it supposed to?” you enquire with a furrowed brow.

He answers your question with one of his own. “Was he not there?”

He notices the grip on your fork and knife tightens. “Was he supposed to be?”

He chuckles. “Inspector, you can’t keep answering in questions.”

“I dare say I can when I have no idea what you’re trying to get at,” you argue.

“He was in the van with you,” he finally says, eyes boring into yours, looking for some kind of reaction. Anything too drastic would be peculiar, but no sort of reaction would be even more so.

A muscle in your jaw jumps and a line in your neck tightens, jutting out against the smooth curve of your skin. Your pupils dilate ever so slightly and then contract as your eyes widen in shock. An apt reaction, Kogami thinks.

“I ran out of the club just in time to catch you being thrown into a van, and as it pulled away I saw Makishima in the passenger seat,” he continues.

“He wasn’t there,” you whisper shakily, eyes darting down to the food on your plate. It suddenly looks very unappetizing and all you want to do is hurl it out the window.

“Are you sure it was only Takahashi in the warehouse with you?” he prods.

“Yes. There wasn’t anyone else.” You’re still talking in a deathly soft tone, your voice quivering. Your eyes are a little too wide and your grip still too tight. Your knuckles are turning white and your nails are digging into your palms, so close to drawing blood. “You were there at the end. You must’ve noticed, too. It was only the two of us.” Your eyes dart back to him, awaiting confirmation, depending on it; he can’t help but notice they’re dilated again.

He thinks back, if only for a second. “It was.”

The muscles in your jaw and neck smooth over, eyes fluttering close as you draw in a breath with great effort. The tendons in your hands finally relax as you put down your knife and fork, only to contract again to grip the stem of your wine glass, bringing the rim to your lips and abruptly tilting it back, downing it in several large gulps.

Something sparks in Kogami; the need to comfort you. It’s a familiar feeling, one that brings him back to his days as an Inspector when his sole mission was to protect rather than bring someone down. He shakes the feeling off. He’s an Enforcer now. There’s no use in dwelling in the past.

But was it so bad to comfort someone in need of it?

By the time he’s made up his mind that reaching over and squeezing your shoulder isn’t such a bad idea, you’re already standing, taking your barely touched plate and shoving it in the fridge.

“You’re not eating?” he asks, although it’s obvious.

“No,” you say flatly, your back to him. “In fact,” you turn, flashing a smile Kogami is not ready for, “would you care to indulge me in a sparring session? I feel like punching something.”

“Is it a habit of yours to overwork yourself while injured,” he says wryly as he notes your smile doesn’t really reach your eyes.

You huff in amusement. “Possibly.”

“No.”

“As your Inspector, I order you to accept.”

“No,” he says again.

“Are you really going to disobey a direct order from your Inspector?” you challenge, crossing your arms over your chest. You’re fully aware your actions are coming off as childish, but at that moment it doesn’t really seem relevant.

“Yes. Especially when it’s not a real order.”

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “You know I’m just going to go up to the gym either way, right?”

“Do you really think I’m going to let you?”

“What makes you think you can stop me?”

Kogami is sure this is supposed to be an argument of sorts, but there’s a certain lilt to both your tones that makes the whole conversation take on a more playful note. “Maybe the fact that you’re injured and can’t throw a punch for the life of you,” he suggests.

“Oh, is that a challenge I hear?”

Kogami wants to laugh. He’s also very tempted to give in just so he can analyze your fighting style again, but he knows better. “There’s no arguing with you, is there?”

You grin. “Finally catching on now, aren’t you.”

“How about the faster you recover, the sooner you’ll be let back on missions.”

Your grin melts to a frown. He’s got you there, but you engage in a long stare-down before sighing. “Fine.”

“You’re not going to be able to recover if you don’t eat,” he adds.

You frown harder, lips verging on a pout, but with a roll of your eyes, you open the fridge and take out your food, popping it in the microwave for a quick reheat. You finally seat yourself opposite Kogami once again, refilling your glass with wine before cutting a piece of salmon and popping it in your mouth, making an obvious show of it. “Happy?”

He nods, apparent amusement in his eyes. “Yeah.”

The two of you continue to eat, engaging in small talk about work and daily life. Kogami finds his mind wandering to your conversation from that morning, about your musings on the Sybil System, wanting to ask you just where your thoughts had led you, but before he makes up his mind, it’s already too late. You’re rinsing the dishes in the sink and sticking them in the dishwasher, signalling his time in your apartment is coming to an end.

He watches you; your hair is up in a ponytail now and he can see the gentle curve of the nape of your neck. Your body’s frame is deceiving, it doesn’t look like it can pull off half the stunts it does, but if there’s one thing Kogami has learnt from his time with you it’s that you’re always presenting him with the unexpected.

“You’re staring,” you remark, gazing at him curiously as you dry your hands on a towel. “Is there something on my face?”

He straightens in his spot, tucking his hands into his pockets. He chooses to reply with a completely different topic. “Inspector, what do you think of the Sybil System?”

Your brows raise minimally as you set the cloth down, moving towards where he stands to blink up at him. “Kogami-san,” you begin.

He waits, breath caught unconsciously in his lungs. He expects an answer unlike any other from you. Your views are so different from that expected of an Inspector, so well thought out and based on fact and not thoughtless assumptions. So, when he practically feels the walls close around you, he’s caught off guard.

“I don’t think this is the time for such a conversation,” you finish, smiling kindly and filling him with disappointment. You begin to move again, heading towards the front door, and he knows it’s time.

He follows you without a word as you open the door and let him pass by. He doesn’t expect you to speak anymore on the subject and he holds no ill will, knowing as an Inspector, you can't just go spouting prose that might get you into trouble.

“However, I won’t be against the topic arising once again when the time is right,” you add cheekily.

He’s only two feet out when you say it. Your voice is soft, but it’s still loud enough for him to hear it clearly and it makes him turn to meet your gaze.

“Thanks for dinner,” he replies, choosing to let your words go unanswered. “You really know how to cook.”

A corner of your mouth quirks up. “Thanks. Good night, Kogami-san.”

“G’night.”

* * *

“Oh, come on, [Name]-chan. Don’t be so down,” Karanomori trills in her usual upbeat attitude. “I’m sure by the next mission, you’ll be a-okay.”

“I just feel so useless,” you grumble from the couch behind her, taking a drag from your cigarette as you mull about how unfair it is that Division One is out without you. It’s been two days since your dinner with Kogami and surely enough Tsunemori has banned you from missions until you were one hundred percent healed.

Karanomori frowns, eyebrows knitting together as she swivels in her chair to turn and look at you before wheeling over and plucking the stick from your fingers. “Gimme that. You’ve successfully quit a long time ago. No need for you to get hooked on them again.”

“Hey!” you protest in half-hearted outrage. “I can’t help it if this whole room smells of tobacco and it tempted my weak ass.”

She sucks idly at the cigarette with a shrug. “Oh, well. It’s mine now.” She winks at you and pushes back to her desk, ignoring your huff of annoyance and focusing her eyes on the screen, making sure Division One hasn’t tried to contact her.

“Do you ever worry for Kunizuka-san?” you ask quietly, your gaze focused on your freshly painted nails, courtesy of some varnish Karanomori had forced on you, saying that shade of deep burgundy was just perfect for you.

“Of course I do,” she answers bluntly, her quick and honest response almost catching you off guard.

“Oh,” you say, the only word your mouth can say for a moment. “Have you ever talked to her about it?”

She smiles with emotion, her chocolate eyes fixing you with a gentle gaze. “Yes, but it was only to show her I care. I’ve never tried to talk her out of it, if that’s what you’re wondering. Even if I tried, I doubt she’d listen. Besides, I know she’d rather be out here in the real world than in a rehabilitation center living her life out in apathy. I’d never want to take that from her. I want her to live to the fullest she can.”

“You really love her, don’t you?” you conclude.

“I do,” she grins. “Just don’t tell her that.”

You laugh in amusement, watching as she glances at her multiple screens and then back to you.

“What brought this question on?” she asks, eyeing you curiously. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually come to fall for Ginoza.”

“Not this again,” you groan. “Kogami won’t stop teasing me about it.”

“Oh? He’s teasing you, is he? It’s rare for him to get along well enough with people these days to do so. The only person I know he teases is Akane-chan.”

“Yeah, well, it’s like you spawned the sudden onslaught of it,” you grumble.

“Sorry, my bad,” she sings, but you can tell she really isn’t. “So, then. Do you suddenly like Ginoza? Oh, my, is it actually Shinya-kun?”

You groan even louder, tossing your head back and letting it rest against the sofa. “Karanomori-san, I’m not interested in anyone. Sure, they may be hot, but I’m not looking to get into a relationship.”

“Aw, what a shame. If you did end up hooking up with Shinya-kun, I think you’d have amazing sex.” She winks and turns back to her desk, clicking away at the keyboard to do away with something that’s popped up on a screen, unrelated to the mission.

You give up on expressing your discomfort; you’re not actually that disturbed by the topic, you just don’t want her bringing it up around more people. “Well,” you huff at her, “you can give up on that thought.”

“Also, you’d’ve been able to tell me what he’s like in bed,” she comments offhandedly.

“What who’s like in bed?” comes a deep voice from behind you.

Both you and Karanomori jerk your heads around to watch Kogami leisurely stroll into the lab, his hands in his pockets as he eyes the two of you in barely concealed amusement.

“Don’t tell me you’re talking about Gino?” he adds when you two blink owlishly at him.

“See!” you suddenly burst, your hand going up in exasperation as you turn back to Karanomori. “He won’t stop! It’s all your fault.”

“If you want, I can drop a few hints the next time I talk to him,” he continues, ignoring your outburst as Karanomori laughs in gleeful delight.

You pick up the closest thing to you, which happens to be a pack of cigarettes, and lob it at him. He catches it easily, barely phased, and plucks one from the pack, sticking it between his teeth and lighting it.

“I can’t wait to break your cool façade the next time we spar,” you grumble as you uncross your legs and rise to your feet. “I can’t stand the smell in this room anymore or that smug look on your face.” You look pointedly at Kogami and he merely shrugs, blowing out a stream of smoke. “I’m out of here.” You head to the door, passing by him as you do.

“Ah, Inspector, I actually came here for you,” he says.

You raise an eyebrow at him as you look at him from over your shoulder. “For me?”

“Yeah, to make sure you’re actually recovering and not doing anything rash.”

“What are you, my father?”

“Daddy kink!” Karanomori sings and you ignore her.

“Can we please leave before she plants more ideas in your head?” you plead, gripping the sleeve of his blazer and dragging him with you as you exit.

“You seem to get along well with Shion,” he notes as you move to the elevator.

You shrug. “She and I share a mutual interest in talking about the men of the CID.”

“You mean Gino,” he clarifies.

Instead of outright denying it or resorting to a false display of fluster, you say, “There are other attractive men besides Ginoza-san.”

“And they are?” The softest of a smirk plays against his lips from around his cigarette.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” you say, sending his smirk right back at him. The elevator stops on your floor. “Well, this is me. Have a good day, Kogami-san.”

“You, too, Inspector,” he says, watching as you walk away, leaving him to press the button to his floor once the doors slide shut.

* * *

It’s an hour later that Kogami finds himself staring at the bookshelves in his room from his spot on the couch, wondering if he should reread some of the classics he owns, or splurge on some new ones. Deep down, it bothers him that his tastes in literature are similar to Makishima's, but he supposes that's what makes Makishima such a clever enemy. He shakes the thoughts of his similarities to his nemesis from his head; it's only going to increase his Crime Coefficient. Instead, he focuses his attention back on the books in his shelves. Perhaps he can ask Saiga for some new recommendations, but before he can follow through, the communicator on his wrist lights up in blue as the ringing hits his ears, a small holographic projection emitting from the cuff displaying your name and face.

“Inspector,” he answers.

“I made too much curry,” you say, skipping formalities and getting straight to the point.

There’s a chuckle and then you can hear movement on his end. “I’m on my way.”

He arrives at your door five minutes later, looking the same as earlier, except his blazer and tie are missing and his hair is a bit more disheveled.

“Thanks for coming. I was ready to call Karanomori next if you’d declined,” you say, waving him in.

“Maybe you should give some to Gino,” he comments, stepping through the doorway and following you in.

Stopping in your tracks, you spin on your heel and fix him with a tepid glare. “The door is there and you can show yourself out,” you frown, finger jutting out to point in the direction of the front door.

“Sorry,” he chuckles light-heartedly. “It’s amusing to tease you.”

“Of course,” you say, moving to the kitchen. “The new Inspector, the rookie, prone to teasing. I hear you enjoy teasing Tsunemori, too.”

He shrugs, watching as you peer in a pot full of curry before stirring it “She’s too cute not to.”

You turn to look at him, mischief flickering in your eyes. “Oh?”

He hears the change in your tone and regrets his words immediately.

“You think she’s cute, do you?” you press.

“It’s a matter of fact,” he brushes off easily.

“Or do you mean opinion?” you grin devilishly.

“Are you saying you don’t think she’s cute?” he asks, flipping the tables, trying to obtain the upperhand.

“I think she’s a beautiful woman,” you reply smoothly, without missing a beat, as you ladle chicken curry next to a serving of rice in a bowl.

“I didn't realize I'd be accompanying you for dinner,” he says, changing the topic.

You pause in your actions. “What?” It isn’t one of your more elegant responses.

“I thought you'd just be sending me home with a couple containers of food,” he admits.

“Wouldn't that be quite rude, sending home company without entertaining them?”

“When it comes to the relationship between an Inspector and Enforcer, it's more common to be rude than polite.”

“I think we've already established I'm not your average, standoffish Inspector.” You extend your arm, curry in hand.

He doesn't accept his bowl immediately. “Inspector, I don't think it's wise to entertain your Enforcers. You're advised to stay detached for a reason.”

You fix him with an open gaze. “I don't believe in staying detached from my Enforcers, Kogami-san. The better I understand the people under my command, the better we can work as a team. If we remain at odds due to conflicting points of view, we'll never be able to trust one another. Rather than having my Enforcers fear me, I'd rather they trust me, so that I can trust them as well. Tsunemori-san also believes these morals, which is probably why Division One respects her as much as they do, and why you all work together as well as you do.”

The way you're looking at him with self-assured confidence, and the words pouring from your mouth reminds him of himself. Not as he is now, but as he was when he was once an Inspector. While he may continue to caution you about your approach and friendliness with your Enforcers, he knows deep down he has no right to, especially when he got too close with Sasayama and ended up considering him more a friend than a leashed hound. Maybe that's why he enjoys talking to you just as much as he does with Tsunemori. You both remind him of the younger version of himself, wide-eyed and hopeful, but with the hardened edge of tragedy he didn't have at the time. However, what past tragedy has grounded you so level headed still eludes him.

He sighs finally, giving up trying to reason with you, accepting his bowl of curry. “Alright, I relent. Just don't make this a habit.”

“Don't worry, I won't. Next time I'll invite Karanomori-san. She's much more fun than you,” you huff indignantly while serving yourself.

“I'd encourage you to invite Gino if it weren't for that fact that having sex with a latent criminal might cloud your hue,” he jokes, moving to the table.

"Sex is a form of stress reduction,” you state, following him before taking a seat. “I doubt it would cloud my hue, no matter who I decide to indulge in it with.”

He chuckles. “No wonder your hue never clouds. You're too obstinate for menial things like these to affect you.”

You glare at him from over the table in good humor. “I'll take that as a compliment. For the sake of my hue.”

“For the sake of your hue,” he agrees before turning his attention to his rice and curry. “Thanks for the food.” He digs in.

Dinner is spent without the mention of Ginoza or your libido, much to your relief, and by the time both of you are done eating, the topic has changed to something a little less upbeat, prompted by the unhealthy discussion of one lunatic prince.

“It sounds like all Inspectors who come into contact with Makishima Shogo turn Enforcer before long, Tsunemori being the rare exception. Although, I probably shouldn’t say that and jinx her,” you muse over the sound of water running over the dishes in the sink.

“Inspector Tsunemori is the best of us,” says Kogami. “She’s seen the worst and has still come out on top with her hue barely tainted. I’d say she has a truly gifted mind.”

You smile at the dishes in your hands. “Indeed she does. But I do believe it is the fate of Inspectors to be demoted to Enforcers. This job…” You pause, smile slipping from your face as you sort through your thoughts. “It comes with a heavy toll on the mind. You can not solve cases without letting yourself stoop to the mindset of the criminal.” You laugh without humor. “You’d think in such a perfect society, Sibyl would have found a solution for that.”

“But they have,” counters Kogami, watching you with keen interest. “It’s why we Enforcers exist; to take the heavy mental load of the job.”

Not fully believing his words, you shrug. “Maybe,” you begin. “But Enforcers can’t shoulder everything. If we Inspectors were to blindly rely on you and believe your reports, we wouldn’t solve half the cases we do. We’d be taken advantage of.” A grunt of laughter escapes him, prompting you to look over. “What,” you ask, brows drawn in amused confusion.

“Are you saying I’m so terrible at my job?” You can tell he already knows the answer to his question from the teasing look in his eyes, but you spare him an answer anyway.

“Oh, please. We both know Division One wouldn’t have gotten as far as it has on the Makishima case without you.” 

“And Inspector Tsunemori,” he says, giving due credit to her.

“Ever so humble,” you tease with a sidelong glance in his direction, sorely tempted to flick water in his direction, but quelling the urge to in the end. “But to continue with my point, even if Enforcers were to shoulder the responsibility of thinking like the criminals we seek to catch, it doesn’t deter from the fact that Inspectors still have to bear the trauma of the case. No normal human can go through life seeing crimes, often horrifying, without it mentally impacting them negatively and clouding their hue, no matter how mentally strong they are.” You pause to take a breath as you shut off the water and then frown as a sudden realization hits you. “Oh, dear. I’m ranting.”

“I’m really questioning your credibility as an Inspector if you’re indulging in conversations such as these,” he remarks with a chuckle. “Either you’re really thick-skinned or you’re just too composed for it to be considered sane.”

“Aren’t the sane the most composed?” you challenge, wiping your hands on a towel as you eye him.

“It depends on where you’re coming from.” He chooses his words with the intent to strike a nerve, and when you respond he’s not entirely sure he has, but he knows he’s hit something.

“And where do you think I come from?” you ask softly, levelly, in a way that’s almost intimidating, daring him to question your origins.

“I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to attempt to answer that question,” he replies truthfully.

His quick wits don’t go unnoticed as you grace him with an appreciative smile. “Good answer, though I wonder if you’ll attempt to answer that question again sometime soon.”

“We’ll have to wait and see.” He knows what time it is and he’s already heading to the door.

You follow, bare feet quiet on the floor.

He pauses just before he’s about to head out. “Is there a reason you instigated such a conversation?” His eyes bore into yours, looking for an answer that’ll prompt him to ask you again about your stand on the Sibyl System. It’s not often that an Inspector talks about the plight of their own job.

Your head shakes minimally. “I just thought you’d enjoy it and have something meaningful to contribute, knowing the type of person you are.”

“And what type of person do you think I am?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to attempt to fully answer that question,” you smile with a hint of dry humor, repeating his words back to him.

“Good answer. I wonder if you’ll attempt to answer that question again sometime soon,” he replies easily, not missing a beat.

You can’t help the twinkle of dry humor that flits across your face at his cheeky response. “Only time will tell.” You reach over and tap the interface to open the door, allowing it to slide open as Kogami gazes down at you. You meet his gaze again unflinchingly. “Good night, Kogami-san.”

“Good night, Inspector.” He bows his head a fraction in farewell and leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter this time to make up for the time I took to update. I've noticed that all these chapters I've been editing to post in the revised version of this fanfic have sub-quality literature. So I've been reading books left and right to try and improve the quality of my writing, which is why updates have slowed down drastically. Hopefully things flow better now and sound smoother :)
> 
> **THIS WORK HAS BEEN INDEFINITELY PUT ON HOLD. AS A SUPPORTER OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, I ACKNOWLEDGE ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS AND SINCE THIS FIC IS ABOUT A FUTURISTIC POLICE FORCE, I REFUSE TO CONTINUE WRITING FOR IT UNTIL I SEE FIT.**
> 
> If you'd like to follow me on social media in case I post updates about this work or any others, you can find me here:  
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